Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit: Deductions

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many children were living in households in (a) receipt of Universal Credit and (b) subject to deductions in each Parliamentary constituency in the most recent month for which data is available; how much was the (i) total and (ii) average sum of such deductions in each constituency; and what proportion of those sums was deducted to repay advance payments.

Guy Opperman: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Pension Protection Fund

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when does his department expect to complete their review of alternative options for entry to Pension Protective Fund.

Laura Trott: The Pension Protection Fund (Entry Rules) Regulations 2005[1] set out the criteria which a pension scheme must meet to be eligible for the Pension Protection Fund. There is currently no review of the Pension Protection Fund eligibility criteria. A call for evidence was launched by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to support the development of innovative policy options which have the potential to offer more choices for defined benefit (DB) pension scheme sponsoring employers and trustees, increase protection for DB members and support wider economic initiatives. This closed on the 5 September[1] The Pension Protection Fund (Entry Rules) Regulations 2005 (legislation.gov.uk)

Pensions Ombudsman

Simon Lightwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time was for the Pensions Ombudsman to respond to enquiries in the latest period for which data is available; and if he will set a timetable for reducing those waiting times.

Laura Trott: The Pensions Ombudsman (TPO) has seen a consistent increase in demand for its services in recent years and has worked to improve and streamline processes. In 2022/23 TPO resolved around 99% of its general enquiries within 28 days of being logged on TPO’s system, compared to a target of 90%. In the same year, TPO closed almost 70% of pension complaints within 12 months, against a target of 55%.TPO recently experienced a cyber incident which temporarily impacted its ability to respond to enquiries and progress pension complaints. The organisation is currently assessing the effect on waiting times and developing plans to reduce these.

Age Addition

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of pensioners have received letters informing them that they will receive the 25p age addition increase from their 80th Birthday since 1 January 2023.

Laura Trott: This information is only available at disproportionate cost to The Department for Work & Pensions as the Department does not have a business requirement for this information to be retained.

Pension Credit: Take-up

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) impact and (b) cost effectiveness of steps being taken by local authorities to increase levels of take up of Pension Credit; and if he will make a statement.

Laura Trott: We are identifying a trial with local authorities of ‘Invitation to Claim’ letters sent to housing benefit recipients who do not claim Pension Credit. We will analyse the results of this later this year. We do not undertake assessments of general Local Authority activity.

Personal Independence Payment

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people stopped receiving the Personal Independence Payment in each month between April 2022 and August 2023.

Tom Pursglove: Data on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) cases after April 2023 cannot be shared as the information is intended for publication at a future date. The department does not make any indication of the statistics public ahead of release. Table (a) below shows the number of people who stopped receiving PIP in each given month from April 2022 to April 2023. Table (a) – people who stopped receiving PIP by monthMonthVolumeApr-2212,000May-2211,000Jun-2211,000Jul-2212,000Aug-2211,000Sep-2211,000Oct-2212,000Nov-2212,000Dec-2212,000Jan-2313,000Feb-2312,000Mar-2317,000Apr-2317,000Source: PIP Atomic Data Store (ADS) Notes:This is unpublished data. It should be used with caution and may be subject to future revision;Figures are for England and Wales only;Figures are rounded to the nearest 1000;Claims are classed as ceased where they were on the caseload on the last day of the previous month but are not on the caseload at the end of the stated month;These data include claimants whose claim ceased as the result of an Award Review, Change of Circumstances or the claimant’s death as well as for other reasons. Claimants may see their PIP claim reinstated at a later date as a result of a mandatory reconsideration or appeal;PIP data includes claimants awarded both under normal rules and special rules for terminally ill claimants;Claimants receiving PIP include those whose claims are in payment and those whose payment is suspended or part-suspended.

Ministry of Justice

Rented Housing: Rents

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have successfully challenged a rent increase at the Tribunal in each of the last five years.

Mike Freer: The information requested is not held centrally and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.The Ministry of Justice publishes statistics on receipts and disposals in the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber). The published statistics are available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-january-to-march-2023.

Family Proceedings: Breastfeeding

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department issues guidance to judges in family courts on the importance of breastfeeding to child health and well-being.

Mike Freer: To preserve the independence of the judiciary, the Lord Chief Justice, Senior President of Tribunals and Chief Coroner have statutory responsibility for judicial training, under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, and Coroners and Justice Act 2009 respectively. These responsibilities are exercised through the Judicial College. The Lord Chief Justice is responsible for issuing guidance to the courts judiciary in England and Wales, and for the provision of its training, which is delivered by the Judicial College.The Judicial College issues regularly updated guidance through the Equal Treatment Bench Book (ETBB), which is made available to all judicial office holders. Chapter 6 of the ETBB provides guidance on breastfeeding, and recommends consideration be given, and suitable provision be made for any breastfeeding or expressing mothers appearing in court, whether they are parties, witnesses, or representatives. Appendix A of the ETBB also includes guidance on how the provisions in the Equality Act 2010 in maternity and pregnancy discrimination may relate to breastfeeding.The latest version of the ETBB is available on: https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Equal-Treatment-Bench-Book-April-2023-revision.pdf.As justice is devolved in Scotland, any questions relating to courts across its jurisdiction may be directed to the Scottish Government.

Criminal Proceedings: Expert Evidence

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of shortages in the number of experts available to provide specialist evidential reports on (a) the criminal justice system and (b) conviction rates.

Mike Freer: We recognise that expert evidence is a key element of many cases and so are taking a number of steps to ensure the availability of experts. We have increased expert witness fees (including forensic science experts) by 15% in cases where legal aid is granted on or after 30 September 2022 to help ensure that the defence have access to a high standard of forensic services. We passed legislation in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 so that remote hearings can continue to be used in criminal proceedings and are currently considering how we can support greater use of video links to secure attendance by expert witnesses.More broadly across the criminal justice system, the Forensic Science Reform Programme, led by the Home Office, aims to improve criminal justice outcomes through the delivery of world class forensic capabilities. In this financial year (2023/24), the Government has allocated £19.6m to improving standards and capability in the provision of expert scientific evidence.

Department for Education

Teachers: Labour Turnover and Recruitment

Mrs Paulette Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps she has taken to improve the recruitment and retention of teachers in secondary schools.

Nick Gibb: Recent data shows that there are now over 468,000 full time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state funded schools in England, which is an increase of 27,000 (6%) since 2010. This makes it the highest number of FTE teachers on record since the School Workforce Census began in 2010.The Department’s reforms are aimed at increasing teacher recruitment and ensuring teachers across England stay and succeed in the profession.The Department recently announced that the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendations for the 2023/24 pay award for teachers and head teachers have been accepted in full. This means that teachers and head teachers in maintained schools will receive a pay award of 6.5%. This is the highest pay award for teachers in over thirty years. The award also delivers the manifesto commitment of a minimum £30,000 starting salary for school teachers in all regions in England.The Department announced a financial incentives package worth up to £181 million for those starting Initial Teacher Training (ITT) in the 2023/24 academic year. The Department is providing bursaries worth up to £27,000 and scholarships worth up to £29,000 to encourage trainees to apply to train in key secondary subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, and computing.The Department is also providing a Levelling Up Premium worth up to £3,000 annually for mathematics, physics, chemistry, and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers who work in disadvantaged schools nationally, including within Education Investment Areas (EIAs). The eligibility criteria and list of eligible schools is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/levelling-up-premium-payments-for-teachers.The Department has created an entitlement to at least three years of structured training, support and professional development for all new teachers, underpinned by the Initial Teacher Training (ITT), Core Content Framework (CCF) and the Early Career Framework (ECF). Together, these ensure that new teachers will benefit from at least three years of evidence-based training, across ITT and into their induction. The Department is currently reviewing the evidence base of the frameworks to ensure they are informed by the latest developments to provide the best up to date support for teachers at the start of their careers. Further information on the CCF can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/initial-teacher-training-itt-core-content-framework and more information on the ECF is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-career-framework.To support teacher retention, the Department has worked with the education sector and published a range of resources to help address staff workload and wellbeing and to support schools to introduce flexible working practices. This includes the workload reduction toolkit and the education staff wellbeing charter. More than 2,800 schools have signed up to the charter so far. The education staff wellbeing charter is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/education-staff-wellbeing-charter. The workload reduction toolkit is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-workload-reduction-toolkit.The Department recently announced that it will also convene a workload reduction taskforce to explore how we can go further to support trusts and head teachers to minimise workload.

Racial Discrimination: Education

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is taking steps to ensure that (a) critical race theory and (b) white privilege and other contested terms are not taught in schools.

Nick Gibb: Political issues relating to racial and social justice can be taught in a balanced and factual manner, just as pupils are often taught about a range of different views on other topics, but schools should not teach contested theories and opinions as fact. The Department is aware that there has been increasing focus on political impartiality in schools over the last few years. This has been challenging for head teachers, teachers and staff with a lack of clarity about what the legal duties in this area really mean.  That is why the Department has published clear and comprehensive guidance to help those working with and in schools to better understand legal duties on political impartiality. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/political-impartiality-in-schools. As with other aspects of the curriculum, schools have flexibility over how they deliver these subjects. It is important that schools take full responsibility for ensuring lessons and materials are age appropriate, suitable and politically impartial, particularly when using materials produced by external organisations. When teaching, schools should consider the age of pupils and their religious and cultural background.

Food: Allergies

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the Food Standards Agency on introducing allergen guidance for schools to help protect children with food allergies.

Nick Gibb: The Department works closely with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) on all matters relating to school food. Given the complexity and individual nature of allergies, the Department believes that head teachers, school governors, and their caterers are best placed to make decisions about their allergy handling policies, which consider individual circumstances. The Department already has statutory guidance for schools to support pupils with medical conditions, which makes clear that schools should ensure they are aware of any pupils with allergies and have processes in place to ensure these can be well managed. Parents should be fully consulted and engaged in any discussions in relation to their child’s allergies. This guidance can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3. While the Department keeps these policies under review, and welcomes feedback on how to better support schools’ implementation of them, the Department feels that the existing mix of national requirements and local flexibility is appropriate for this complex issue.

Further Education: Finance

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the total underspend was in the 16-19 education budget for financial 2022-23; and if she will set out the value of underspends in that budget in each of the previous four financial years.

Robert Halfon: The 2019 and 2020 Spending Review settlements were based, in part, on the forecast of student numbers at that time. Similarly, the 2021 settlement was based on the number of students expected to be in 16 to 19 education in the 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years.The department bases allocations on lagged student numbers, which gives an appropriate allocation for each provider for the current year. We therefore fund the estimated number of students in the system each year, whether that be higher or lower than the number forecast, rather than allocate a defined budget.All funding allocations are published, and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/16-to-19-education-funding-allocations#published-allocations.The department also publishes annual expenditure in the consolidated annual report and accounts, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dfe-annual-reports.

Special Educational Needs: Holiday Play Schemes

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of holiday clubs for parents of children with SEND.

David Johnston: The department’s Holiday Activities and Food programme, backed by £200 million per year to 2025, provides heathy meals, enriching activities and free childcare places to children from low-income families over the holidays. The programme is targeted at school aged children who receive benefits-related Free School Meals (FSM), and the department expects the local authorities we fund to ensure that all programme providers offer inclusive and accessible provision.As in previous years, local authorities have discretion to use up to 15% of their funding to provide free or subsidised holiday club places for children who are not in receipt of benefits related FSM. This can include children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities who are not also in receipt of benefits-related FSM, but who the local authority believe could benefit from the programme.

Universities: Mental Health Services

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment has she made of the adequacy of the availability of mental health support within universities.

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she made of the number of university students seeking support for their mental health.

Robert Halfon: It is a priority for the government that students are provided with the mental health support they need.We are taking an approach based on three pillars:Funding vital services and innovative projects via the Office for Students, with £15 million allocated for the 2022/23 academic year to support students starting university for the first time and enable effective partnerships between higher education (HE) providers and local NHS services. £3.6 million was invested to launch Student Space in 2020 and it has since provided nearly 300,000 students with free online mental health resources and confidential support.Spreading and implementing best practice consistently across providers.Clear responsibilities for providers and protection for students, with solutions developed by the Student Support Champion, Professor Edward Peck.The government does not collect data on the number of students seeking support for their mental health, but we know from Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student data that 119,480 students with a registered mental health condition were enrolled in UK HE providers in academic year 2021/22, which is the most recent year data is available. This table is available at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/table-15.The department recently conducted research on the design and delivery of mental health and wellbeing services to meet the needs of their students. This found that almost all HE institutions (99%) provided in-house self-help resources and the vast majority (97%) offered in-house psychological support for those experiencing poor mental health, either through face-to-face or virtual contact with a counsellor. Research also found a substantial increase in the proportion of HE institutions that now have a specific mental health and wellbeing strategy in place (two thirds in 2022 compared with just over a half in 2019). The report can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-wellbeing-practices-in-higher-education.While good progress has been made by the sector, the department is going further to protect students’ wellbeing. 61 universities are already part of the University Mental Health Charter Programme and are following the principles the charter sets out for a whole university approach to mental health. Students should have confidence in the support they will receive, whatever university they have chosen to study at, and so the department has set a target for all remaining universities to sign up to the Mental Health Charter Programme by September 2024.To set out a clear plan and targets for further improvements in mental health support, Professor Edward Peck is chairing the HE Mental Health Implementation Taskforce. The taskforce includes representatives from students, parents, mental health experts and the HE sector, and will deliver a final report by May 2024.The department is confident the HE sector will rise to meet the challenge set. If the response is not satisfactory, the department will go further, and ask the Office for Students to look carefully at the merits of a new registration condition on mental health.

Alternative Education

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of children in England receiving an education through unregistered alternative provision settings.

David Johnston: The department collects data on placements in local authority alternative provision (AP) through the AP census. Data on placements by schools in AP is collected in the schools census. Data by type of setting for placements made by both local authorities and schools is available in the National Statistics publication ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’, which can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics.

Further Education: Regulation

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of annual regulatory compliance costs for colleges.

Robert Halfon: There are multiple areas of regulation applicable to colleges in addition to departmental requirements. These include Ofsted, Office for Students, Charity Commission, Companies Law Act and Health and Safety and Equalities Law. The department is therefore unable to make estimates of the annual regulatory compliance costs for colleges.Throughout this Parliament, the department has increased overall funding for the sector, making an extra £125 million available in 2023/24 and an extra £1.6 billion in 2024/25 financial years for 16 to 19 education, which is the biggest increase in 16 to 19 funding in a decade.On top of this, on 13 July 2023 the department announced a further investment of £185 million in the 2023/24 financial year and £285 million in the 2024/25 financial year to drive forward skills delivery in the further education sector. This funding will help colleges and other 16 to 19 providers to address key priorities as they see fit, including tackling recruitment and retention issues in high value technical, vocational and academic provision which are of critical importance to our national economic growth and prosperity.The department is aware that the cost to colleges in staff time and associated expenditure of meeting regulatory requirements is an issue for colleges. The department is therefore undertaking work to reduce burdens on colleges, such as modernising and simplifying data returns and streamlining processes by, for example, using a single Development Fund to deliver funding for improvement and new investment purposes, moving to multi year and more flexible funding approaches and simplifying financial oversight mechanisms.

Foster Care

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department plans to publish the results of the consultation on the Stable Homes, Built on Love: Implementation Strategy.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department plans to publish its response to the consultation entitled Children's social care national framework and dashboard, published on 2 February 2023.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department plans to publish its response to the consultation entitled Child and family social worker workforce, published on 2 February 2023.

David Johnston: The department published its bold and ambitious plans to reform children’s social care on 2 February 2023 through ‘Stable Homes, Built on Love’, an implementation strategy and consultation. On 11 May 2023, three consultations closed on our proposals for reform, our draft children’s social care national framework and data dashboard, and our plans for addressing the high use of agency social workers in the workforce. The department is thankful to the thousands of people who engaged and responded to the consultations, including those with personal experience of the care system, dedicated professionals providing key services, and civil society. A government response to these consultations will be published in due course.

Sign Language: Education

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what additional support funding is available to deaf leaners or the parents of deaf leaners through the (a) Adult Education Budget and (b) other forms of funding in each of the last five years.

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will make an assessment of the accessibility of British Sign Language (a) classes and (b) qualifications for parents with deaf children who are ineligible for the adult education budget.

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many qualifications in British Sign Language up to Level 2 have been (a) undertaken by and (b) funded through the adult education budget for (i) deaf learners and (ii) the parents of deaf children in each of the last five years.

Robert Halfon: The government understands the great importance of British Sign Language (BSL) for bridging barriers to communication between hearing and deaf people. The department also appreciates the vital need for families with deaf children to be able to access BSL courses, as early access to language is essential to help children learn and thrive.Funding is available through the Adult Education Budget (AEB) for qualifications in or focusing on BSL up to, and including, Level 2. These qualifications include the Level 1 Award in BSL, which allows learners to communicate in BSL on a range of topics that involve simple, everyday language use, thereby giving them the basic skills and confidence in production and reception of BSL. It will depend on an individual’s circumstances as to whether they are entitled to free provision or are expected to meet part of the cost through co-funding.For qualifications at Level 3 and above, Advanced Learner Loans (ALLs) are available for certain BSL qualifications. Individuals can access information on which qualifications are eligible at: https://www.qualifications.education.gov.uk/Search. More general information about the provision of ALLs is available at: https://www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan. If undertaking a BSL qualification that leads to a master’s level qualification, eligible students can access a postgraduate loan, as long as they have not previously accessed the postgraduate loan product, or already hold a Level 7 qualification. Several universities and organisations offer such qualifications.For parents learning BSL on an AEB funded course, there is also additional support available. The AEB provides funding to colleges and providers to help adult learners overcome barriers preventing them from accessing learning. Providers have discretion to help learners meet costs such as transport, accommodation, books, equipment, and childcare. Learning support funding also helps colleges and training providers to meet the additional needs of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and the costs of reasonable adjustments, as set out in the Equality Act 2010.The government has not assessed the accessibility of BSL classes and qualifications for those who are ineligible for the AEB. In areas where the AEB is devolved, it is for the Mayoral Combined Authority or Greater London Authority to decide how funding is spent.In the rest of the country the Education and Skills Funding Agency manages the AEB. Learners who are employed and earn above the low wage threshold can be co-funded to complete provision up to, and including, Level 2, meaning that government pays a 50% contribution to the course cost. This includes some BSL qualifications. For these learners, the department suggests contacting the education provider regarding enrolment and payment processes. Apart from the statutory entitlements, it is for AEB providers to choose how they wish to prioritise funding within their AEB allocations.In addition, on 15 June, the department launched a public consultation on the proposed subject content for a new GCSE in British Sign Language (BSL). The aim is for first teaching of the GCSE to take place from September 2025. The aim is that by introducing this new GCSE, more schools and colleges will choose to teach BSL in turn, increasing the number of BSL users and advance equality of opportunity.The table below contains adult (19+) further education (FE) and skills learning aim enrolments from the 2017/18 academic year onwards that have ‘British Sign Language’ or ‘BSL’ in their aim title. Additional breakdowns are provided for education and training learning, and for learners declaring themselves as hearing impaired. The department does not hold information as to whether the learners taking these aims have deaf children.Adult (19+) learning aim enrolments with ‘BSL’ or ‘British Sign Language’ in the titleAcademic yearFurther education and skillsEducation and trainingEducation and training up to level 2All enrolmentsof which hearing impaired.2017/182,0101,9901,910902018/192,1302,1002,0201402019/201,5201,5101,4301202020/211,0301,010970902021/221,0501,0501,03090 To Note:1) Figures rounded to the nearest 102) Data Source is the Individualised Learner Record.3) Education and training aim enrolments includes learning funded via the AEB4) Learners have the option to record a single instance of a primary learning difficulty or disability on the ILR, which we are reporting here. It will not include learners with a hearing impairment that do not wish to declare their disability, or who have multiple disabilities and do not declare a hearing impairment as their primary disability.5) Aim enrolments are a count of enrolments at aims level (including component aims) for each academic year. Learners are counted for each aim they are studying and so, can be counted more than once. It is not a count of unique learners. Care should be taken when interpreting different learner characteristics as they could be repeated where a learner does more than one aim.FE within the FE and skills and apprenticeship and traineeships publications covers learners who are studying courses in a FE College, with a training provider or within their local community. It also includes employees undertaking an apprenticeship or other qualification in the workplace. Education and training are mainly classroom-based adult FE that is not classed as an apprenticeship, community learning or workplace learning. It can also include distance learning or e-learning. It includes traineeships and offender learning.

Alternative Education: Inspections

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department has provided to (a) HM Inspectors and (b) Ofsted Inspectors on recording in individual school reports whether a school uses (i) Alternative Provision, (ii) Alternative Provision which is or is not registered with Ofsted and (iii) Alternative Provision which is or is not otherwise regulated; and if she will place a copy of this information in the Library of the House of Commons.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department has issued to (a) HM Inspectors and (b) Ofsted Inspectors on recording in individual school reports (i), the names of the specific providers of Alternative Provision used by the school, (ii) current Ofsted judgements of the overall effectiveness of the specific providers of Alternative Provision used by the school and (iii) the steps taken by inspectors to assess the quality and understand the use of Alternative Provision by the school in each of the last five years; and if she will place a copy of this information in the Library of the House.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what directions and guidance her Department has been produced for Ofsted on inspecting schools and educational settings providing Alternative Provision on (a) the priority for and (b) the nature and purpose of those settings.

David Johnston: This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the hon. member, and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.The department publishes statutory guidance for local authorities and schools on arranging and commissioning suitable alternative provision for children and young people. The guidance is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/942014/alternative_provision_statutory_guidance_accessible.pdf.

Childcare: Greater London

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of (a) nurseries and (b) childminders that closed in Greater London in the 2022-23 financial year; and how many childcare places were affected by these closures.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of (a) nurseries and (b) childminders that closed in the South East in the 2022-23 financial year; and how many childcare places were affected by these closures.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of (a) nurseries and (b) childminders that closed in the South West in the 2022-23 financial year; and how many childcare places were affected by these closures.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of (a) nurseries and (b) childminders that closed in the West Midlands in the 2022-23 financial year; and how many childcare places were affected by these closures.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of (a) nurseries and (b) childminders that closed in the North East in the 2022-23 financial year; and how many childcare places were affected by these closures.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of (a) nurseries and (b) childminders that closed in the Yorkshire and the Humber in the 2022-23 financial year; and how many childcare places were affected by these closures.

David Johnston: This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Alternative Education and Special Educational Needs

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan, when her Department plans to publish the local and national inclusion dashboard.

David Johnston: The first version of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and Alternative Provision national and local inclusion dashboard will be published in autumn 2023.

Alternative Education and Special Educational Needs

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan, what steps she is taking to test the prototype local and national inclusion dashboard.

David Johnston: The department is currently carrying out phase one user testing of the prototype national and local inclusion dashboard with a range of potential users, including parents and carers, local authorities and Special Educational Needs education providers. The department will also use the Change Programme to develop a longer term understanding of our primary users, what they are using the dashboard for, their needs and any unintended consequences.

Home Office

Asylum: Children

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seeker children have been (a) sent to adult prisons and (b) sent to adult prisons where paedophiles are serving sentences in each of the last five years.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office does not collect data on the number of age dispute cases that have arisen in adult prisons. Our published data on age assessment can be accessed here.

Migrants: Pakistan

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of security of the Pakistani diaspora in the United Kingdom.

Tom Tugendhat: While we do not comment on specific security measures within the United Kingdom, the Home Office takes the security and safety of all citizens very seriously, and does all it can to protect everyone, including those from differing diasporas.

Visas

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Security to the Global Financial Integrity DC Forum Conference in February 2023 on closing loopholes in visa waiver agreements with third countries that operate citizenship by investment regimes, whether her Department has taken recent steps to tackle those loopholes; and what estimate her Department has made of (a) the number of people who have entered the UK via those routes and (b) the number and proportion of those people that (i) have a criminal record and (ii) pose a risk to national security in each of the last 12 months.

Robert Jenrick: Visit visas are an important part of securing the UK’s border and are an effective tool for the UK in reducing illegal immigration, tackling organised crime and protecting national security. The UK keeps its visa system under regular review. Decisions taken following engagement across government.Careful consideration of the operation of citizenship by investment programmes by Dominica and Vanuatu has shown abuse of these programmes. The UK imposed a visa regime on both countries on 19 July 2023.

Biometric Residence Permits

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many biometric residence permits have been delayed at (a) approval, (b) printing and (c) re-printing as a result of IT problems in each of the last six months.

Robert Jenrick: The information is not available publicly and could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.

Immigration Controls

Pat McFadden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's publication entitled New Plan for Immigration Sovereign Borders Programme, published 22 May 2022, what estimate she has made of the spending for the (a) total programme and (b) its constituent elements up to 2025; and if she will describe the constituent elements.

Robert Jenrick: The Sovereign Borders Programme is currently being updated following the Illegal Migration Act (IMA).

Offenders: Deportation

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's policy is on the deportation of foreign nationals convicted of violent crime to their country of origin if it is unsafe.

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Human Rights Act 1998 on foreign nationals convicted of attempted murder.

Robert Jenrick: This Government puts the rights of the British public before those of criminals, and we are clear that foreign criminals should be deported from the UK wherever it is legal and practical to do so.Under the UK Borders Act 2007, a deportation order must be made where a foreign national has been convicted of an offence and received a custodial sentence of 12 months or more. This is subject to several exceptions, including where to do so would be a breach of a person’s ECHR rights or the UK’s obligations under the Refugee Convention. Individuals are only returned to their country of origin when the Home Office and, where applicable, the Courts deem it is safe to do so. Each individual assessment is made against the background of any relevant caselaw and the latest available country information.

Naturalisation: Applications

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2023 to Question 186725 on Naturalisation: Applications, what was the average processing time for non-straightforward applications in the last 12 months.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office publishes data on the processing of applications for British citizenship on the Gov.UK website. We do not publish data on average processing times for naturalisation applications.The link to the latest Migration Transparency Data can be found here:www.gov.uk/government/publications/visas-and-citizenship-data-q2-2023

Asylum: Applications

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what number and proportion of notices to quit were issued within (a) 7 days, (b) 14 days, and (c) 21 days of an asylum decision for each month between April 2022 and July 2023.

Robert Jenrick: Under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, asylum seekers are provided with housing and basic living expenses whilst the outcome of their claim is determined. This is known as Section 95 support. When an asylum seeker’s claim has been successful, then they will be notified in writing that their Section 95 support will cease in 28 days. If their claim has been unsuccessful, they will be notified in writing that their Section 95 support will cease in 21 days.These figures are not available in a readily reportable format.

Animal Experiments: Rabbits

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Annual Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, Great Britain 2022, published on 13 July 2023, for what reason the number of eye irritation tests in rabbits increased from 0 in 2021 to 3 in 2022; and whether she is taking steps to help reduce the number of such tests on rabbits in the future.

Tom Tugendhat: The Annual Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals in Great Britain do not include data on the reasons for changes in the number of procedures carried out year to year.The Government is committed to the development of alternatives to using animals in scientific procedures and continues to actively support and fund the development and dissemination of the 3Rs (replacement, reduction and refinement) for the use of animals in scientific procedures. This is achieved through UK Research and Innovation’s funding of the National Centre for the 3Rs, which works nationally and internationally to drive the uptake of non-animal technologies, and through research into the development of alternatives by Innovate UK, the Medical Research Council, and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

Credit Cards: Fraud

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department provides on whether making a credit card application using someone else's details is a criminal offence.

Tom Tugendhat: Existing legislation can already be used to prosecute those committing fraud using a stolen identity.The Fraud Act 2006 covers the selling and using of stolen personal information to commit fraud. The Computer Misuse Act 1990, the Identity Documents Act 2010 and the Data Protection Act 2018 cover the protection of personal data.

Police: Finance

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to conduct a review of the funding formula for Police Forces.

Chris Philp: The government recognises that the current police funding formula is out of date and no longer accurately reflects demand on policing. A review of the funding formula was launched in Autumn 2021 to ensure that it fairly and transparently distributes the circa £8.6bn of annual core grant funding across the 43 police forces in England and Wales.We are working towards completing the first phase of the review and are considering the demands facing each police force and the relative impact of local factors on forces. We have engaged closely with the policing sector throughout the review, and this work continues.

Police: Recruitment

Mr David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that first-language Welsh speakers are not unfairly disadvantaged in the (a) process and (b) written tests for police entry.

Chris Philp: Decisions about police recruitment, including how recruitment and selection processes are run, are a matter for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners and are therefore managed locally by forces. This is done within a national application, assessment and selection framework, in line with national guidance maintained by the College of Policing.There is currently no formal obligation for the College of Policing to prepare a statutory language scheme in respect of the Welsh language. Nevertheless, the College published its first Welsh Language Scheme in 2021, which sets out the College’s commitment to supporting Welsh forces.In the scheme, the College has committed to work together with Welsh forces’ recruitment departments to offer the candidate a bilingual recruitment journey. To date, the College has produced the national application form, and all candidate information and guidance for the recruitment process in Welsh.The College remains committed to exploring further options to delivering elements of the assessment phase of the end-to-end process in Welsh to support candidates who have Welsh as their first language.

Fraud

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many forensic accountants are employed in each Police Force in England and Wales.

Chris Philp: The Home Office does not hold information on the number of forensic accountants employed in police forces in England and Wales.The Home Office collects and publishes data annually on the number of police officers and staff employed in England and Wales by function in the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales.These functions are based on the framework set out by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) as part of the Police Objective Analysis (POA) estimates. The POA framework does not include a specific function for forensic accountants.

Offensive Weapons: Sales

Pat McFadden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the press notice entitled Government bans machetes and zombie knives, published by her Department on 30 August 2023, whether her proposal to ban the online sale of machetes and other bladed weapons includes swords without serrated edges.

Chris Philp: Between 18 April 2023 and 6 June 2023, the Government ran a consultation on five proposals to tackle knife crime, including a targeted ban on certain types of machetes and knives which appear to be designed to look intimidating, but which have no practical purpose. The consultation followed engagement with the police who had raised concerns about the use of fantasy and zombie type machetes and knives in crime.On 30 August the Home Office published the government response to the consultation:www.gov.uk/government/consultations/machetes-and-other-bladed-articles-proposed-legislationAs set out in the consultation response, the government is currently considering the precise description of the items we wish to ban following feedback from respondents to the consultation. This includes considering the following features:- Cutting edges – plain and serrated- Sharp pointed end- Length of the blade- Holes in the blade- Other features - spikes, protuberances, hooksThese features are being considered to differentiate the types of machetes and knives which appear to have been designed to look intimidating and have no practical purpose, from the types of machetes and knives which are used for agriculture, gardening and a range of other jobs and pastimes.We have focused on the features commonly found in the knives and machetes that the police have brought to our attention as increasingly being used for serious crime and serious violence.As set out in the consultation response, during our conversations with the police swords were not raised as a specific concern and in discussion with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), we agreed to focus on zombie style machetes and knives in this consultation. However, we will keep this under review, should any operational need arise to extend the ban to swords and other bladed articles or offensive weapons.More widely, it is already an offence to have an article with a blade or point in a public place without good reason and this includes swords. Upon conviction for this offence a person can be liable for up to four years imprisonment.It is also an offence to sell any sword or machete to anyone under 18 and one of our proposals is to increase the maximum sentence for this offence to two years imprisonment.

Asylum

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up on the termination of asylum support following asylum decisions.

Robert Jenrick: The Strategic Oversight Group, established in December 2022, is a cross-HMG group (along with the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) and is co-chaired with the LGA Chief Executive. This group allows dialogue between national and local government within asylum and resettlement. We continue to work closely with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and local government, to mitigate asylum accommodation pressures. Additionally, we work with the Department for Work & Pensions to ensure those asylum seekers granted leave to remain can access benefits promptly.

Undocumented Migrants: Albania

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many illegal migrants have been returned to Albania since the publication of the UK-Albania Joint Communique: Enhancing bilateral Cooperation in areas of common interest on 13 December 2022.

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of how many Albanian illegal migrants arrived in the UK since the publication of the UK-Albania Joint Communique: Enhancing bilateral Cooperation in areas of common interest on 13 December 2022.

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many migrants arrived in the UK illegally from (a) Bosnia and Herzegovina, (b) Georgia, (c) Mongolia, (d) Albania, (e) Chile, (f) Kosovo, (g) North Macedonia and (h) Serbia in (i) 2022 and (ii) 2023 to date.

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many illegal migrants were returned to (a) Bosnia and Herzegovina, (b) Georgia, (c) Mongolia, (d) Albania, (e) Chile, (f) Kosovo, (g) North Macedonia and (h) Serbia in (i) 2022 and (ii) 2023 to date.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office publishes data on detected irregular arrivals in the ‘Irregular Migration to the UK Quarterly Release’. Quarterly data on detected irregular arrivals broken down by method of entry and nationality are published in table Irr_D01 of the ‘Irregular Migration detailed datasets’. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to end June 2023.Further provisional small boat arrivals data is published in the data tables accompanying the ‘Statistics relating to the Illegal Migration Act’. Numbers of arrivals by nationality are published in table IMB_01b for Q2 and July 2023.The Home Office also publishes data on returns in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on returns by destination are published in table Ret_D02 of the ‘Returns detailed datasets’. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to the end of March 2023.Further provisional returns data is published in the data tables accompanying the ‘Statistics relating to the Illegal Migration Act’. Quarterly numbers of returns of Albanians and all other nationalities are published in table IMB_05 up to the end of July 2023. Since the signing of the UK-Albania Joint Communique on 13 December 2022, the UK has returned 2,898 Albanian nationals to Albania and covers the period up to 31 July 2023.Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.

Asylum: Boats

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 25 July 2023 to Question 194955 on Asylum: Boats, if her Department will publish the Equality Impact Assessment completed for the Bibby Stockholm.

Robert Jenrick: Equality Impact Assessment (EqiA) documentation is for internal use and therefore is not routinely published.

Naturalisation: Applications

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for naturalisation have been submitted each year since 2010; and what has been the average processing time per year.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office publishes data on the number of applications for naturalisation and registration of British citizenship. Annual data for citizenship applications can be found in table Cit_01 of the citizenship summary tables.The Home Office publishes data on processing times for total citizenship applications against service standards in table VSI_02 Visas and Citizenship Migration transparency data.The latest data relates to the year ending June 2023.

Alternatives to Prison

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to publish a report of the pilots on alternatives to detention.

Robert Jenrick: UNHCR appointed the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) to independently evaluate both these pilots. The report for the first pilot, Action Access, was published by NatCen in January 2022.

Migrants: Health Services

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the oral statement of the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on Public Sector Pay of 13 July 2023, Official Report, column 525, when she plans to bring forward regulations to increase the immigration health surcharge.

Robert Jenrick: We will lay regulations in the Autumn to amend the Immigration (Health Charge Order) 2015, in order to increase the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS).

Visas: Fees and Charges

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the oral statement of the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on Public Sector Pay of 13 July 2023, Official Report, column 525, when she plans to bring forward regulations to increase visa fees.

Robert Jenrick: We will lay regulations in the Autumn to amend immigration and nationality fees and set out which routes are impacted.

Visas: Wrestling

Alex Davies-Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications were (a) received and (b) granted for people seeking an (i) International Sportsperson visa and (ii) Creative Worker (Temporary Work) visa so they could participate in wrestling performances in each year since 2010.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office publishes data on visas in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on international sportspersons and temporary worker visas are published in tables ‘Vis_D01’ for applications and ‘Vis_D02’ for outcomes of the Entry clearance visa applications and outcomes detailed datasets, as part of the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to year ending June 2023. Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’. Wrestling in the UK is governed by the British Wrestling Association and holders of International Sports Persons visas may enter the UK to coach and compete in competitions. Those performers appearing in the UK in professional exhibitions may apply under the Creative Worker (Temporary Worker) visa route. However, the published data does not record the applicant’s sport.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Biodiversity

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department's timeline is for laying the Statutory Instrument to commence the implementation of biodiversity net gain under Part 6 of the Environment Act 2021 in relation to both the main and small sites metric.

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Statutory Instrument to commence the implementation of biodiversity net gain under Part 6 of the Environment Act 2021 will confirm the implementation dates for the (a) main and (b) small sites metric.

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of her Department's decision to delay the implementation of biodiversity net gain on small sites until April 2024 on (a) the amount of habitat created in that period, (b) the amount of habitat destroyed in that period, (c) the UK’s ability to meet its commitments under the G7 2030 Nature Compact and (d) small developers.

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to implement the biodiversity net gain on small sites after April 2024.

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential benefits of digital tools in helping small and medium-sized developers to comply with biodiversity net gain on small sites.

Trudy Harrison: The Government intends to implement mandatory biodiversity net gain for most new major development under the Town and Country Planning Act (1990) from November this year, for minor development from April 2024 and for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) from 2025. The temporary transition for small sites until April 2024 is intended to lessen the short-term administrative burdens and to allow local planning authorities and smaller developers a longer period to prepare for biodiversity net gain. The relative regulatory burden of BNG for small developers can be higher, so this transition is important to ensure time for small developers to familiarise themselves with the new requirement, associated guidance, and the small sites metric. We are developing tools that will help small, medium, and large developers alike. We are also providing training and guidance that will support developers in the necessary assessments and processes. In addition, we are aware a number of digital tools are being developed in the private sector to support small and medium sized developers. Given that this is a temporary transition until April 2024, and that small development only makes up a small proportion of overall land use change from non-developed to urban land cover[1], we expect this transition period will a limited impact on biodiversity. We also know that some developers are already voluntarily delivering biodiversity net gain ahead of it becoming mandatory. The transition period for small sites does not prohibit developers from delivering voluntary BNG ahead of April 2024. Defra intends to lay the small sites metric alongside the statutory metric ahead of implementation in November. [1] Net gain impact assessment (publishing.service.gov.uk) Section 2.2.2

Animal Welfare (Electronic Collars) (England) Regulations 2023

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects the Animal Welfare (Electronic Collars) (England) Regulations 2023 to be debated in the House of Commons.

Trudy Harrison: We remain committed to introducing a ban on electronic collars controlled by hand-held devices that deliver an electric shock to cats or dogs. Parliamentary business will be scheduled and announced in the usual way.

Food: Public Sector

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 27 April 2023 to Question 182240 on Food: Public Sector, when her Department plans to publish its response to the consultation on Public Sector Food and Catering Policy.

Mark Spencer: We are considering the implications of issues that have arisen during the course of our review of the consultation responses, not least ensuring the response reflects the current cost of living pressures. Officials are continuing to work on updating the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services in line with the government’s goal of transitioning to a healthier, more sustainable food system. In light of this we now plan to publish the Government Response, Summary of Responses, updated policy and supporting guidance later this year.

Electronic Cigarettes: Waste Disposal

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to ensure manufacturers of vapes help fund their disposal.

Rebecca Pow: The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations require the producers of electrical and electronic equipment (including vapes) to take financial responsibility for the collection, and proper treatment the products that they place on the market when those products become waste at household waste recycling centres or are returned to retailers. We have committed to consult on reviewing the existing WEEE regulations in 2023 to strengthen the obligations placed on producers and retailers to make it easier and more convenient for householders to dispose of their unwanted equipment, including vapes. In so doing we will make sure that the treatment costs that rise from waste vapes fall squarely on those who manufacture or import them.

Inland Waterways

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to protect the water quality of canals.

Rebecca Pow: The Plan for Water sets out broad actions to improve England’s water quality, including reducing pollution from agriculture, sewage, wastewater and transport. These actions include specific targeted policies to improve the water quality of artificial and heavily modified water bodies, which includes canals, to mitigate the impact of modifications on the environment.

Food: Waste Disposal

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance her Department provides local authorities on food waste collections; and whether she plans to issue any further guidance.

Rebecca Pow: We will provide support and advice through statutory and non-statutory guidance and ensure best practice is widely available to assist local authorities.

Waste Management

Patricia Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing the speed of reforms to the (a) packaging waste recycling note and (b) packaging waste export recycling note systems.

Rebecca Pow: The Government Response to both the consultation on extended producer responsibility for packaging published in March 2022 and the consultation on reforms to the Packaging Waste Recycling Note (PRN) and Packaging Waste Export Recycling Note (PERN) System published in October 2022 set out a number of measures to improve the operation of the system. These included enhanced reporting requirements for accredited reprocessors and exporters, the introduction of an operator competence (‘fit and proper person’) test and additional requirements on exporters to evidence that packaging has been received at overseas reprocessing sites and recycled. These reforms will be introduced in our new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulations, which currently are out for consultation. The Government will keep the operation of the system under review and consider other measures as necessary to ensure its effective operation.

Electronic Cigarettes: Recycling

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential cost to the public purse of recycling disposable vapes.

Rebecca Pow: Defra has recently commissioned some research to better understand the market for and environmental impacts of disposable vapes and associated cost impacts. That research will be published in due course. Currently there is no cost to the public purse for recycling disposable vapes that are deposited at household waste recycling centres (HWRCs). The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations require producers of electrical and electronic equipment (including vapes) to finance the collection and proper treatment of those products when they become waste at HWRCs.

Recycling

Patricia Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of (a) consulting widely on the design of the Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers, (b) improving kerbside recycling and (c) increasing glass remelt targets.

Rebecca Pow: UK Government, Welsh Government and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland consulted in 2019 and 2021 on the detail of introducing a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In January 2023 we published the government response to the 2021 consultation, setting out policy decisions and next steps for introducing the scheme (link here). There was strong support, with 83% of consultation responses supporting the introduction of a DRS. Defra is working closely with devolved administrations and industry to support successful DRS delivery across the UK. Regarding kerbside recycling, following support at public consultation, new section 45 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (as amended by the Environment Act 2021) stipulates that all local authorities in England must make arrangements for a core set of materials to be collected for recycling from households. This core set includes: paper and card; plastic; glass; metal; food waste and garden waste. These materials must always be collected separately from residual waste so that they can be recycled. Commencement dates will be set out in regulations in due course. In the Government response to the consultation on Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility published in March 2022 we set out our intention to increase the glass remelt target to 80% by 2030.

Packaging: Recycling

Patricia Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that the extended producer responsibility for packaging scheme (a) is designed in cooperation with industry, (b) is effective and (c) keeps additional costs to (i) businesses and (ii) consumers to a minimum.

Rebecca Pow: The Government recently took the decision to defer the introduction of extended producer responsibility for packaging by 12 months having considered feedback from stakeholders and current economic pressures. This additional time will be used to further engage with industry and local authorities on the operational design of elements of the scheme including the scheme governance, administration arrangements and the fees and payments model. This also provides more time for businesses to prepare and to adapt to the new data reporting requirements and for Government to consult on the draft Regulations that will implement extended producer responsibility providing further opportunity for stakeholder feedback. I want to ensure the scheme is effective, delivers improvements to local authority packaging waste services and provides value for money to obligated businesses.

Fertilisers: Ammonia

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure the (a) adequacy and (b) resilience of supplies of ammonia as a feedstock for fertiliser.

Mark Spencer: We are aware of recent announcements in industry which mean a reduction to prospects for domestic production of ammonia, however Defra and wider government do not anticipate issues as we have recently been reliant on an import model without experiencing any issues.  If companies experience difficulties in accessing the chemicals they need, then Defra and wider government encourage them to engage with their suppliers. If this does not resolve any challenges, then they should engage with their industry bodies. With regards to ammonium nitrate fertilisers, the UK typically imports fertiliser products from more than 20 countries. The supply chain has remained dynamic and we understand farmers have been able to purchase fertiliser for the 2023 growing season. Defra continues to monitor the situation and work closely with other government departments and industry to understand fertiliser supply, demand and price challenges.

Milk: Labelling

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to introduce a requirement for (a) manufacturers, (b) supermarkets and (c) restaurants to specify which type of milk is used in their products.

Mark Spencer: Where prepacked food is made with milk as an ingredient, this must be declared in the ingredients list. If it is not cow’s milk but the milk of another mammal, this must also be made clear. Similarly, if any alternative products, for example oat or soya drink, are used in food, the ingredients list must state this accurately. A full list of ingredients is not required for food sold in restaurants, however as milk is one of the substances causing allergies or intolerances for which information must always be available to consumers, its presence must be made available to restaurant consumers on request. Similarly, if alternative products, for example plant-based drinks, are made using ingredients that are among those allergens that must be indicated, for example oats or almonds, this information must be made available to consumers on request. Food businesses that supply other businesses with food intended for supply to consumers or to mass caterers should also ensure that sufficient information is provided to enable, when required, the provision of mandatory information to the final consumer.

Animal Welfare: Fish Farming

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2023 to Question 158986 on Animal Welfare: Fish Farming, if she will provide an update on the progress made by her Department on studying the recommendations of the Animal Welfare Committee; and if she will publish the (a) recommendations and (b) Government response.

Mark Spencer: We will publish AWC’s updated Opinion on the Welfare of Farmed Fish at the Time of Killing. The Government does not respond to AWC advice but their advice and recommendations are used extensively in policy development.

Electronic Cigarettes: Waste Disposal

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of retail outlet disposal points for vapes.

Rebecca Pow: The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations require retailers of vapes (and other electrical and electronic equipment) to provide take-back systems for their customers. We have committed to consult on reviewing the existing WEEE regulations in 2023 to strengthen the obligations placed on retailers (and producers) to make it easier and more convenient for householders to dispose of their unwanted equipment, including vapes.

Veterinary Services

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will hold discussions with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons on their planned timetable for concluding their inquiry into future veterinary demand.

Mark Spencer: My officials continue to work with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to understand the future needs for the UK veterinary workforce. We will look to work with the College and other stakeholders to progress any findings that emerge.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Buildings: Insulation

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to offer financial assistance to businesses that may have lost trade because their building is covered in scaffolding in order to repair unsafe cladding.

Lee Rowley: Government building safety schemes provide funding for the remediation or mitigation of life safety fire risks associated with externally clad walls, ensuring the safety of all occupants, including co-located businesses. While there is no additional funding for businesses affected by necessary remediation works, we do expect companies in these buildings to be consulted about proposed repairs. We also require construction companies funded to carry out this work to comply with the Considerate Constructors Scheme, through which they work to manage the impact on the local community and the environment.

Buildings: Insulation

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he is taking steps to help leaseholders who cannot sell their homes due to managing agents not providing deeds of certificate for cladding.

Lee Rowley: The lack of a landlord's certificate, should not, in most cases, be a barrier to the sale of a property over 11 metres. If a landlord does not provide a valid landlord's certificate within 4 weeks of a leaseholder requesting a certificate (if necessary, via the managing agent), they will be unable legally to pass costs for remediation onto qualifying leaseholders.   A leaseholder can evidence they qualify to receive the protections from remediation costs in the Building Safety Act by completing a leaseholder deed of certificate. This certificate should be sufficient evidence for a lender to consider a mortgage application for a building with building safety issues; major mortgage lenders (covering 70% of the UK mortgage market) have committed to this in a joint statement.

Planning: Impact Assessments

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has carried out an impact assessment on its proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework.

Rachel Maclean: The Government's proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework were subject to a full public consultation that ran from December 2022 to March 2023.

Affordable Housing: Key Workers

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what discussions he has held with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on ensuring that NHS staff can access key worker housing near where they work.

Rachel Maclean: In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed.

Social Rented Housing: Mould

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate his Department has made of the potential costs that local authorities will incur as a result of implementing Awaab’s Law on investigating and fixing damp and mould in properties within new time limits; and if he will provide earmarked additional funding for local authorities to implement those requirements.

Dehenna Davison: Awaab's law was introduced following the tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak from the effects of damp and mould that was left untreated in his home. All landlords must ensure that their homes are safe, warm and decent.Social landlords already have a responsibility to meet the Decent Homes Standard (which specifies homes must be free of the most dangerous 'category 1' hazards), to ensure their homes are fit for human habitation, and to remedy disrepair. Awaab's law will establish the timeframes within which landlords have to fulfil those responsibilities.

Housing: Disability

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to Schedule 1 to the Building Regulations 2010, what plans he has to increase the supply of M4(2)-compliant dwellings.

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what plans he has to increase the supply of accessible housing.

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if his Department will conduct an impact assessment on the effect of insufficient accessible housing on health and well-being.

Lee Rowley: I refer the Hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN HL8422 and UIN191722 on 26 June 2023 and 3 July 2023.

Local Government: Magazine Press

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the publication of Our East End by Tower Hamlets Council on the activities of the Executive Mayor and councillors in the context of the former Secretary of State’s Directions in 2014 on Commissioners monitoring any concerns over the demarcation between publicity for the Authority’s benefit and for party political benefit.

Lee Rowley: Local authorities must have regard to the Publicity Code when producing publicity, defined as 'any communication in whatever form, addressed to the public at large or a section of the public'.The Local Government Act 1986 gives the Secretary of State the power to issue Directions to secure compliance with one or more specified provisions of the Code, or all the provisions of the Code.Any decisions relating to this power are made on a case-by-case basis.

Holiday Accommodation: Business Rates

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate he has made of how many short term holiday lets that do not pay business rates because of small business rate relief.

Lee Rowley: The information requested is not held centrally.

Housing: Solar Power

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to CPRE, the countryside charity’s report entitled Shout from the rooftops: delivering a common sense solar revolution, published in May 2023, whether he plans to ensure that the Future Homes Standard requires roof space-mounted solar arrays to be installed on new homes.

Lee Rowley: Renewable energy, such as that generated from solar panels, is a key part of our strategy to get to net zero.Not all homes are suitable for solar panels. For instance, some homes are heavily shaded due to nearby buildings or trees.Under the Future Homes Standard, the Building Regulations will continue to set performance-based standards. Our approach to achieving higher standards will remain technology-neutral, to provide flexibility to choose the most appropriate and cost-effective solutions.

Council Tax and Universal Credit

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent steps he has taken with local authorities to improve the take-up of (a) Universal Credit, (b) Council Tax Support and (c) social tariffs.

Lee Rowley: The Government is in regular contact with councils about the range of support to households.The Department for Work and Pensions has worked with key organisations and charities on the transition to Universal Credit from other benefits and regularly promotes Universal Credit at relevant events.Council tax support is the responsibility of local authorities who must consult upon and publish their schemes.To raise awareness of social tariffs amongst eligible households, the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology has worked with consumer groups, charities and broadband and mobile companies to launch a 'Help for Households' awareness campaign.

Buildings: Disability

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what progress his Department has made on proposed technical changes to the Building Regulations to mandate the higher M4(2) accessibility standard.

Lee Rowley: The Government has commissioned research that includes demographics, ergonomic requirements and experiences of disabled people, as part of a full review relating to Part M of the Building Regulations. Results from that research will be published in due course.

Public Lavatories: Incontinence

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, in reference to the upcoming technical consultation on the provision of toilets, whether his Department will consult on the implementation of incontinence bins in publicly accessible male toilets.

Lee Rowley: Building Regulations determine specifications for size, space and construction of a building but not for the equipment inside a building. The Government however encourages the provision of sanitary bins in all toilets.

Department of Health and Social Care

Dementia: Erith and Thamesmead

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve the dementia diagnosis rate in Erith and Thamesmead constituency.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Sodium Valproate

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the proposed timescales are for the Patient Safety Commissioner review on sodium valproate.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Mental Health Act 1983

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether it remains Government policy to reform the Mental Health Act 1983.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Integrated Care Boards: Disclosure of Information

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will issue guidance to Integrated Care Boards on transparency around commissioning decisions including (a) which commissioning decisions and details thereof should be published and (b) which commissioning decisions and details thereof should be considered commercially sensitive for purposes of freedom of Information requests.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Hospitals: Admissions

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of patients not being hospitalised at the nearest hospital on the (a) well-being and (b) finances of their families; and whether his Department plans to localise specialist services.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Hospitals: Admissions

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of patients not being hospitalised at the nearest hospital on their (a) well-being and (b) recovery.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Midwives: Disciplinary Proceedings

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many midwives have been referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council for (a) disciplinary and (b) competency assessment in the last 12 months.

Will Quince: The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the independent regulator of nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom and nursing associates in England. It sets the standards that registrants must meet to demonstrate that they are capable of practising safely and effectively in those professions.The NMC does not break down its data into categories of “disciplinary” and “competency” at the point of referral. Although the Department does not collect information on the number of midwives referred to the NMC, the NMC has informed the Department that 175 new concerns regarding midwives were raised with it between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023.Further information on the number of referrals received by the NMC regarding midwives during 2022/23 is available at the following link: https://www.nmc.org.uk/about-us/reports-and-accounts/fitness-to-practise-annual-report/

Dermatitis: Cost of Living

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help support eczema patients with increases in the cost of living.

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to provide (a) psychosocial and (b) other mental health support to eczema patients.

Will Quince: No one is excluded from the Government’s cost of living support as a consequence of a health condition or disability such as eczema. Those with needs arising from such a condition may be entitled to the full range of support depending on their circumstances, including access to an extra costs disability benefit such as the Personal Independence Payment.In addition, for 2023/24, households on eligible means-tested benefits will get up to £900 in Cost-of-Living Payments. This will be split into three payments of around £300 each across the year.We recognise that people’s mental and physical health are intrinsically linked, and people with long term physical health conditions, such as eczema, may also need emotional and psychological support. We are investing at least £2.3 billion of extra funding a year in expanding and transforming mental health services in England by March 2024. This will enable an extra two million people to be treated by mental health services within the National Health Service by March 2024. Mental Health is one of the group of conditions included in the Department’s Major Conditions Strategy. The strategy will aim to identify actions in the areas of prevention, treatment, and long-term management of care to improve outcomes for individuals across the six major condition groups. We have continued to expand NHS talking therapies services for all adults with common mental health problems. These services are accessible to all adults in England. People can be referred by a range of practitioners or refer themselves.

Defibrillators

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help reduce economic barriers to accessing defibrillators.

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential fiscal impact of increasing the number of Automated External Defibrillators available to the public on healthcare services.

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many instances of sudden cardiac arrest have occurred outside of hospitals in the last five years.

Will Quince: The Government has agreed to provide funding of £1 million to design a grant scheme for the expansion of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) that expands the number and accessibility of publicly supported access to defibrillators.Applicants will be asked to demonstrate that defibrillators will be placed in areas where they are most needed, such as places with high footfall, longer emergency medical response times and deprived areas No assessment has been made of the potential fiscal impact of increasing the number of AEDs available to the public on healthcare services. The number of instances of sudden cardiac arrest that have occurred outside of hospitals in the last five years is not available centrally.

Breast Cancer: Screening

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to help ensure that breast cancer screening is accessible to all eligible women.

Will Quince: The Department has invested £10 million funding into the NHS Breast Screening Programme providing 28 new breast screening units targeted at areas with the greatest challenges of uptake and coverage. This will provide extra capacity for services to recover from the impact of the pandemic, boost uptake of screening in areas where attendance is low and tackle health disparitiesIn addition, steps are being taken to remove barriers to attending breast cancer screening such as promoting the use of text message alerts to remind women of upcoming appointments. NHS Breast Screening Providers are also being encouraged to work with cancer alliances, primary care networks, NHS England regional teams and the voluntary sector, to bring together work to promote uptake of breast screening and take action to ensure as many people as possible can access services.

Clinical Trials: North East

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to increase clinical trials capacity in the North East.

Will Quince: To increase clinical trials capacity in the North East, the Department provides funding through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) infrastructure in line with the Government’s Vision for the Future of UK Clinical Research. This includes investment in the NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN), NIHR Clinical Research Facility (CRF) and NIHR Patient Recruitment Centre (PRC).The NIHR CRN supports patients, the public and health and care organisations throughout England to participate in high-quality research; the NIHR Local CRN North East and North Cumbria facilitates effective and efficient clinical trial participation, setup and delivery across the North East. Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was recently re-awarded funding for the NIHR Newcastle CRF for delivery of high-quality experimental medical research and early phase clinical trials. Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust also hosts one of five NIHR PRCs, a facility dedicated to delivering commercial research. In addition, NIHR recently awarded capital funding for new research equipment to NHS trusts, of which the North East received over £4 million.

Alopecia: Baricitinib

Paul Bristow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the NHS is taking to fund Baricitinib for the treatment of severe alopecia areata.

Will Quince: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service on whether medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended in a NICE appraisal, usually within three months of final guidance.NICE published final draft guidance on 18 May 2023 which does not recommend baricitinib for the treatment of severe alopecia areata. An appeal has been made against NICE’s final draft guidance by Alopecia UK which will be considered by NICE’s appeal panel on 12 September 2023. NICE will issue final guidance in due course.

Locums: Nurses

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 18 July 2023 to Question 194110 on Locums: Nurses, for what reasons locum junior doctors are able to contribute to existing NHS pension funds but nurse practitioners cannot.

Will Quince: The NHS Pension Scheme is an occupational scheme, and both locum junior doctors and locum nurse practitioners cannot access the scheme if they are employed via an agency or are self-employed.Junior doctors who perform additional work via a National Health Service staff bank can access the scheme, as they have a NHS contract of employment for this work. It would be possible for longer-term locum nurse practitioners to become substantively employed on fixed term contracts as a flexible resource, for instance by primary care organisations. In doing so, they would then hold a contract of employment which would allow them to access the NHS Pension Scheme.

Pancreatic Cancer

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to increase (a) early diagnosis and (b) survival rates of pancreatic cancer.

Will Quince: In January 2019, NHS England published the NHS Long Term Plan which set the ambition to diagnose 75% of cancers at stage one and two by 2023, when it is easier to treat and increases survival outcomes. To achieve this ambition, the Department is working with NHS England to increase early diagnosis and survival rates for those with cancer, including pancreatic cancer, and plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25 to help drive up and protect elective activity, including cancer diagnosis, as set out in the Elective Recovery Plan published in February 2022. In addition, the Government has awarded £2.3 billion to transform diagnostic services over the next three years, most of which will help increase the number of Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) up to 160 by March 2025, prioritising CDCs for cancer services. The National Health Service has implemented ‘non-specific symptom pathways’ for patients who have symptoms that do not align to a particular type of tumour, including for non-specific symptoms of pancreatic cancer. There are 103 pathways currently in place with the aim to have national coverage by March 2024. To encourage people to see their general practitioner if they notice symptoms that could be cancer, NHS England runs the ‘Help Us, Help You’ campaigns, which address the barriers that deter patients from accessing the NHS. In addition, the NHS has allocated £10 million to innovations to support earlier and more efficient diagnosis, including the PinPoint blood test and a new genetic test that can be used as a ‘liquid biopsy’ for those with suspected pancreatic cancer.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Screening

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to meet with the UK National Screening Committee to discuss the timescale for implementing an in-service evaluation for spinal muscular atrophy screening in the NHS.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information the UK National Screening Committee has provided on the (a) format, (b) scale and (c) duration of the upcoming in-service evaluation for spinal muscular atrophy screening in the NHS.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the timelines for the UK National Screening Committee’s in-service evaluation for severe combined immunodeficiency screening in the NHS; and whether his Department has plans to reduce the timeline for the upcoming in-service evaluation for spinal muscular atrophy screening.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an estimate of the number of babies born with spinal muscular atrophy that may experience irreversible disability between August 2023 and the conclusion of the review into newborn screening.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to expedite the introduction of newborn spinal muscular atrophy screenings.

Will Quince: In June 2023, the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) recommended that a modelling study be carried out alongside an in-service evaluation of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) screening in the National Health Service. Around 70 babies a year are born with SMA in the United Kingdom (around 1 in every 10,000 live births), with approximately 60% of those having type 1 SMA (SMA1). The new model will help define important issues for the in-service evaluation, while the evaluation will be used to collect data to feed into the model and test its assumptions. This important work will give the UK NSC the evidence it needs to assess how newborn screening for SMA might work safely in the UK. Work is still in the planning stages therefore timescales are not established yet. The UK NSC will keep ministers informed, and the public up to date on progress via its blog and ongoing stakeholder engagement.

UK Commission on Pharmacy Professional Leadership

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2023 to Question 186868 on Pharmacy: Finance, who funded the costs of the UK Commission on Pharmacy Professional Leadership; what those costs were; and if he will make a statement.

Neil O'Brien: The UK Commission on Pharmacy Professional Leadership was funded by the Offices of the Chief Pharmaceutical Officers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with the Office for the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for Scotland providing in-kind support. The total Commission costs were £87,745.

Tobacco: Labelling

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled Smokers urged to swap cigarettes for vapes in world first scheme, published on 11 April 2023, when his Department plans to consult on introducing mandatory cigarette pack inserts.

Neil O'Brien: On 14 August 2023, the Department launched the public consultation on mandating quit information messages inside tobacco packs. The consultation across the United Kingdom will close on 10 October 2023 and more information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/mandating-quit-information-messages-inside-tobacco-packs/mandating-quit-information-messages-inside-tobacco-packs-consultation

Dermatitis: Health Services

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to train community healthcare professionals to (a) support and (b) provide appropriate referrals to specialist care for people with moderate to severe atopic eczema.

Will Quince: Training programmes for healthcare professionals must meet the standards set by the regulatory body for their profession. Whilst not all curricula may necessarily highlight a specific condition, they all nevertheless emphasise the skills and approaches a Health Care Practitioner must develop to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients.The standard of training for health care professionals is the responsibility of the independent statutory health care regulatory bodies, which set the outcome standards expected at undergraduate level and approve courses, and higher education institutions which write and teach the curricula content that enables their students to meet the regulators’ outcome standards.Individual employers are responsible for ensuring their staff are trained and competent to carry out their role, including ensuring staff are aware of care pathways and referral routes for those living with moderate to severe atopic eczema.

Semaglutide

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure an adequate supply of Ozempic.

Will Quince: We are aware of a supply issue with Ozempic, which has been largely driven by off-label use for weight loss. We have issued guidance in the form of Medicine Supply Notifications and, on 18 July, issued a National Patient Safety Alert which made it clear that Ozempic, which is solely licensed to treat Type 2 diabetes, should only be used for that purpose, and should not be routinely prescribed for weight loss.We have engaged with relevant regulators, and the General Pharmaceutical Council, General Medical Council, Health and Care Professions Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council and Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland have issued a joint statement stressing the importance of health and care professionals meeting regulatory standards.We have also added Ozempic and other glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists to the list of medicines that cannot be exported from, or hoarded in, the United Kingdom.We are continuing to work closely with manufacturers and others working in the supply chain to help ensure the continued supply of these medicines for UK patients, for example by asking suppliers to expedite deliveries. We have provided advice for healthcare professionals on how to manage patients requiring this medicine whilst there are shortages and are keeping this under review as the situation evolves. If any patient is concerned about their treatment, they should discuss this with their clinician at the earliest opportunity.

Members: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care when he plans to respond to correspondence of (a) 26 June and (b) 25 July from the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare, on behalf of constituent Clare Cox on infection risks.

Will Quince: The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Lord Markham) replied to the hon. Member on 5 September 2023.

Diabetes: Medical Treatments

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure that type 2 diabetic patients have access to treatment in the context of shortages in the supply of Ozempic.

Will Quince: We are aware of a supply issue with Ozempic, which has been largely driven by off-label use for weight loss. We have issued guidance in the form of Medicine Supply Notifications and, on 18 July, issued a National Patient Safety Alert which made it clear that Ozempic, which is solely licensed to treat Type 2 diabetes, should only be used for that purpose, and should not be routinely prescribed for weight loss.We have engaged with relevant regulators and the General Pharmaceutical Council, General Medical Council, Health and Care Professions Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council and Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland have issued a joint statement stressing the importance of health and care professionals meeting regulatory standards.We have also added Ozempic and other glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists to the list of medicines that cannot be exported from, or hoarded in, the United Kingdom.We are continuing to work closely with manufacturers and others working in the supply chain to help ensure the continued supply of these medicines for UK patients, for example by asking suppliers to expedite deliveries. We have provided advice for healthcare professionals on how to manage patients requiring this medicine whilst there are shortages and are keeping this under review as the situation evolves. If any patient is concerned about their treatment, they should discuss this with their clinician at the earliest opportunity.

Scoliosis: Children

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment with the Secretary of State for Education of the potential merits of screening for scoliosis in schools.

Will Quince: The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) is an independent scientific advisory committee that advises health ministers and the National Health Service in all four countries about all aspects of screening policy and supports implementation.The UK NSC has reviewed screening school aged children for scoliosis in 2021 and recommended against screening. This is because there is not enough evidence to show if detecting the condition earlier through screening results in better health outcomes than waiting until symptoms develop. Details of the UK National Screening Committee’s review are available at the following link:https://view-health-screening-recommendations.service.gov.uk/scoliosis/

Heart Diseases: Medical Equipment

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to increase access to implantable cardiac monitors in (a) Enfield North constituency, (b) the London Borough of Enfield and (c) London.

Will Quince: NHS England has assessed that there are no issues with patients accessing implantable cardiac monitors with these devices being used successfully by patients across England and within the Enfield North constituency, the London Borough of Enfield and London.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published guidance in September 2020 on the use of implantable cardiac monitors. National Health Service trusts are currently using such devices in stroke prevention throughout England.It is for local integrated care systems to determine the appropriate cardiac monitoring devices for their populations commissioners.

Semaglutide

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the availability of Ozempic.

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure an adequate supply of Ozempic for patients with diabetes.

Will Quince: We are aware of a supply issue with Ozempic, which has been largely driven by off-label use for weight loss. We have issued guidance in the form of Medicine Supply Notifications and, on 18 July, issued a National Patient Safety Alert which made it clear that Ozempic, which is solely licensed to treat Type 2 diabetes, should only be used for that purpose, and should not be routinely prescribed for weight loss.We have engaged with relevant regulators, and the General Pharmaceutical Council, General Medical Council, Health and Care Professions Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council and Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland have issued a joint statement stressing the importance of health and care professionals meeting regulatory standards.We have also added Ozempic and other glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists to the list of medicines that cannot be exported from, or hoarded in, the United Kingdom.We are continuing to work closely with manufacturers and others working in the supply chain to help ensure the continued supply of these medicines for UK patients, for example by asking suppliers to expedite deliveries.We have provided advice for healthcare professionals on how to manage patients requiring this medicine whilst there are shortages and are keeping this under review as the situation evolves. If any patient is concerned about their treatment, they should discuss this with their clinician at the earliest opportunity.

Health Services: Children and Young People

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce treatment waiting times for children and young people.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce elective procedure backlogs in child health services.

Will Quince: Cutting National Health Service waiting lists, including for elective child health services, is one of this Government’s top priorities.To support elective recovery, the Government plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25 to help drive up and protect elective activity. Steps taken include increasing capacity, seeking alternative capacity in other trusts or the independent sector and engaging with patients to understand their choices.We met our target to virtually eliminate long waits of two years or more for elective procedures in July 2022. We also virtually eliminated waits of over 18 months by the end of June 2023, a reduction of over 94% from the peak of 125,000 in September 2021. Our next ambition is to eliminate waits of 65 and 52 weeks.

Hospitals: Public Lavatories

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of fully accessible toilets in NHS hospitals; and what steps he is taking to help ensure adequate provision for staff, patients and local communities.

Will Quince: No assessment has been made of the adequacy of the availability of fully accessible toilets in National Health Service hospitals. NHS organisations are responsible for providing appropriate toilet facilities for the users of their sites. This must be consistent with relevant guidance and legislation including the Building Regulations Part M, volume 2 and Health Building Note (HBN) 00-02: Sanitary spaces.NHS England has included questions in their Patient Led Assessment of the Care Environment data collection which includes assessment of the provision of Changing Places toilets, which allow access to toilets large enough to allow space for a wheelchair and carer, including staff, to assist when the door is closed.

Baby Care Units: Training

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of mandatory continuous professional development for (a) doctors and (b) nurses working in neonatal units.

Will Quince: Individual employers are responsible for ensuring their medical and nursing staff are trained and competent to carry out their role and to invest in the future of their staff through providing continuing professional development (CPD) funding. This includes ensuring that they undertake the CPD requirements of the General Medical Council and Nursing and Midwifery Council respectively ensuring they keep their skills and practice up to date to remain on the professional register of their regulator.

Dementia: Research

Patricia Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department provides funding to research (a) understanding and (b) treatment of Lewy Body dementia.

Will Quince: The Government is strongly committed to supporting research into dementia. In 2019 we committed to double funding for dementia research. We will double funding for dementia research to £160 million per year by 2024/25. The Department funds research via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and has provided funding to research which seeks to increase understanding and treatment of Lewy Body dementia. For example, NIHR Programmes spent almost £1.8 million on research in this remit over the past five years. NIHR infrastructure is dedicated to supporting research across all disease and therapy areas, including research into Lewy Body dementia, funded by public funders, medical research charities and the life sciences industry.Examples of projects funded by the NIHR include the £1.6 million COBALT study which investigates whether adding the drug Memantine to existing medications (acetylcholinesterase inhibitors) improves overall health and function for people with Lewy Body dementia and Parkinson’s disease dementia.Through an NIHR-funded project, DIAMOND-Lewy, researchers from Newcastle University and University of Cambridge have created a Management Toolkit for better diagnosis and disease management of Lewy Body dementia. The guide is designed to be used by practitioners to facilitate the detection of Lewy Body dementia in patients.

Vorasidenib

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with (a) Servier and (b) the MHRA about making Vorasidenib available to clinically suitable brain tumour patients in the UK under the Early Access to Medicines Scheme

Will Quince: The Secretary of State and the Department have had no specific discussions with Servier about making Vorasidenib available to clinically suitable brain tumour patients in the United Kingdom under the Early Access to Medicines Scheme (EAMS).The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has also not had any specific discussions with the Secretary of State regarding Vorasidenib. The MHRA has not issued a scientific opinion for Vorasidenib under EAMS but should an application for this be received, the MHRA will consider this accordingly.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to assess the safety of the Government’s policy of charging patients for a further prescription for recalled or faulty medicines.

Will Quince: The National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) Regulations 2015, as amended, set out the legislative position on the supply of medicinal products by pharmacies to patients and the relevant charges to be applied in England. They specify that a charge should be applied ‘per quantity’ of medicinal products. Furthermore, Part XVI of the NHS Drug Tariff, concerning notes on prescription charges, clarifies that unless a completed declaration of entitlement to exemption or remission is made on the prescription form, a charge is payable for each medicinal product supplied. Therefore, when a prescription only medicine is recalled and replaced with an alternative prescription item a patient must pay the applicable prescription charges unless they are exempt from NHS charges. There are no plans to change this.The exemptions in place result in around 89 per cent of all prescription items in England being dispensed free of charge, and prescription pre-payment certificates can be used to cap the cost of prescriptions.

Dementia: Research

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department is taking to facilitate research into dementia.

Will Quince: The Government is strongly committed to supporting research into dementia. Through partnerships with patients, researchers, funders, and charities we continue to play a significant role in global efforts against the disease.In 2019, we committed to double funding for dementia research. We will double funding for dementia research to £160 million per year by 2024/25. The Department funds research via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and has invested in a range of activities to facilitate research into dementia.On 14 August 2022, the former Prime Minister publicly launched the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission, along with £95 million government funding, to speed up the development of new treatments. As part of the Dementia Mission, the Department is investing in the NIHR Dementia Translational Research Collaboration which seeks to expand the United Kingdom’s early phase clinical trial capabilities in dementia.The NIHR has invested in the Three Schools Dementia Programme, a collaborative programme worth £4.5 million between the Schools for Social Care, Public Health and Primary Care Research enabling research and capacity building in the field of dementia.The NIHR and Alzheimer’s Society invested £7.5 million funding to support a cohort of post-doctoral health and care researchers across the 15 NIHR Applied Research Collaborations in England. Additionally, the NIHR has confirmed funding, alongside charity partners, for the continuation of Dementia Researcher, a resource that supports all early career researchers working in dementia.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) increase access to and (b) ensure the adequacy of mental health care available to (i) school-age children and (ii) young adults.

Maria Caulfield: We are expanding and transforming children and young people’s mental health services through the NHS Long Term Plan. Funding for mental health services will increase by at least £2.3 billion a year by March 2024, as part of which an additional 345,000 children and young people will be able to access National Health Service-funded mental health support.As part of the £500 million COVID-19 funding for the Mental Health Recovery Action Plan, we invested £79 million extra in 2021/22 to significantly expand children’s mental health services. This allowed around 22,500 more children and young people to access community health services and a faster increase in the coverage of mental health support teams in schools and colleges.

Mental Health Services: Rural Areas

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle the potential impact of isolation on mental health in rural areas and (b) provide appropriate mental health support for residents in such areas.

Maria Caulfield: The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee recently published a report setting out recommendations to the government regarding rural mental health. The Department of Health and Social Care is working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs towards responding to this report, and this will be published in due course.

Mental Health Services

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the backlog in mental health cases across (a) England and (b) Shropshire.

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the waiting time for mental health referrals in (a) England and (b) Shropshire.

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on patients' mental health of waiting times for mental health care provision.

Maria Caulfield: The NHS Long Term Plan commits to investing £2.3 billion extra funding a year in expanding and transforming mental health services by March 2024, enabling an extra two million people, including in Shropshire, to be treated by National Health Service mental health services.The Department also provided an additional £500 million in 2021/22 to accelerate our expansion plans and help address waiting times for mental health services. The Department is also working with the NHS towards implementing five new waiting time standards for people requiring mental healthcare in both accident & emergency and in the community, to ensure timely access to the most appropriate, high-quality support.

Menopause: Greater Manchester

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many women are on the waiting list to be referred for specialist menopause treatment on the NHS in (a) Stockport and (b) Greater Manchester as of 1 September 2023.

Maria Caulfield: Waiting list data for specialist menopause treatment is not available in the format requested. The latest data for June 2023 indicated that the total waiting list for gynaecology pathways in Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board, including the Stockport area, was 43,330.

Women and Equalities

Equal Pay

Stella Creasy: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to The Equality Act 2010 (Gender Pay Gap Information) Regulations 2017 and the Answer of 5 December 2022 to Question 99825 on Equal Pay, if she will publish the report in accordance with Section 16 of that regulation.

Maria Caulfield: We were required to publish a review of the gender pay gap reporting regulations after they had been in force for five years; as is the case for many other business regulations. This was published in April and the Post-Implementation Review can be accessed here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2017/172/resources

Disability: Building Regulations

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she has made an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to make BS 8300 a legal requirement.

Stuart Andrew: Individual departments are responsible for ensuring that the provisions of the Equality Act are delivered across their department. The Disability Action Plan consultation document set out the Government's work over the last 12 months as well as planned work in 2023/24. This included highlighting work undertaken by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on accessibility and building regulations, and their plans in the upcoming months.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Energy: Medical Equipment

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing targeted financial support to terminally ill people to cover the cost of powering medical devices in the home.

Amanda Solloway: As set out in the autumn statement, we are exploring the best approach to consumer protection, as part of wider retail market reforms. The government continues to monitor the situation and will keep options under review, including with respect to the most vulnerable households. In response to higher prices, we have put in place the Energy Price Guarantee and provided significant help to those who need it most through this winter and into 2023-24, including an additional Cost of Living Payment of £900 paid across three instalments and payments through the Warm Home Discount and Winter Fuel Payments.

Solar Power

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Nuclear and Networks of 19 July 2023 on Planning and Solar Farms, Offical Report, column 344WH, for what reason solar farm clustering was not addressed in the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects reforms action plan.

Graham Stuart: My Hon. Friend the Minister for Nuclear and Networks replied to the Hon. Member on 5th September.

Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund: North West

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much funding the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero provided through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund in the North West.

Graham Stuart: Through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) Demonstrator project, the Northwest of England was granted around £3m of funding in 2020. Through the SHDF Wave 1 project, the Northwest of England was granted around £27m in August 2021, and through the SHDF Wave 2.1 project, the Northwest of England was granted around £105m in March 2023.

Hydrogen

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of implementing a programme to inform the public about the potential contribution of hydrogen to (a) domestic heating, (b) transport and (c) carbon reduction.

Graham Stuart: The Hydrogen Strategy sets out the important role that low carbon hydrogen could play in decarbonising vital UK industrial sectors, providing flexible deployment across power, transport and potentially heat. The Government is providing significant support for research and development across these sectors.The Government is supporting industry to deliver a hydrogen heating trial in Fife and the Tees Valley Hydrogen Hub, and discussing a potential village trial in Redcar, to understand hydrogen’s future uses better. The Government is working with industry partners to engage the public, informing them about hydrogen and what to expect. The Government will continue public engagement as hydrogen technology matures.

Energy: Meters

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, which organisation (a) designed and (b) commissioned the second generation of smart meter mesh networks.

Amanda Solloway: The Data Communications Company (DCC) was responsible for leading the design, build test and implementation of the overall end-to-end solution for second generation meters. Mesh based solutions were chosen by Telefonica (now Virgin Media O2) and Arqiva who are service providers contracted to DCC to supplement their primary wide area network technologies to meet their coverage obligations. The mesh technology is installed and commissioned by energy suppliers (as part of a smart meter installation) as directed by the Data and Communications Company’s Wide Area Network coverage checker.

Energy: Price Caps

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much money has been recovered from previous periods under the energy price cap by each energy company.

Amanda Solloway: The setting of the energy price cap is a matter for the independent regulator Ofgem.Ofgem remains the sole decision-maker over how it is calculated and has consulted extensively on its methodology for determining the cap level. Ofgem sets out its methodology and details the costs and impacts here: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/energy-price-cap-default-tariff-1-october-31-december-2023. The Government has confidence in Ofgem, as the expert independent regulator, to set the cap at a level that reflects the underlying efficient costs of supplying energy.

National Grid

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her Department has (a) taken and (b) plans to take to expand the capacity of the electricity network capacity while a new Future System Operator is being established.

Andrew Bowie: The Government is taking action to expand the electricity network, in partnership with the regulator and industry bodies. Ofgem is enabling anticipatory investment through regulatory frameworks and has accelerated the delivery of nearly £20bn of strategic transmission projects. We are moving to a strategically planned approach for networks, initially through the Electricity System Operator’s Holistic Network Design, which connects almost new offshore wind in a coordinated way, expanding capacity while improving efficiency. I welcome the Electricity Networks Commissioner’s recent report on accelerating grid infrastructure and government will publish an Action Plan this year in response.

Electric Cables

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the potential environmental impact of using modern cable ploughing technology on the installation of 132kv electricity transmission cables.

Andrew Bowie: The Government consultation on the draft energy National Policy Statements closed on 23 June and we are reviewing the responses. This included that overhead lines should be the strong starting presumption for electricity networks developments but that in nationally designated landscapes the strong starting presumption will be that the applicant should underground the relevant section of the line. Decisions on which technology would be used for construction would be a matter for the developer. Government officials engage and meet with all devolved administrations, including Welsh Government, as required for policy development and evaluation.

Energy: Meters

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what mesh pilot system field tests were conducted within the defined repeater installations in each constituency; and what signal strengths were obtained.

Amanda Solloway: The Data Communications Company (DCC) is obligated under licence to provide coverage to 99.25% of premises in Great Britain. Ofgem is responsible for regulating the DCC against its obligations. We do not hold information about the signal strengths obtained during field tests.

Housing: Energy Performance Certificates

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent estimate she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential cost of upgrading all homes in England to at least energy performance certificate rating C.

Graham Stuart: The Government set out an aspiration in the Clean Growth Strategy for as many homes as possible to reach an Energy Performance Rating Band C by 2035 where cost-effective, affordable and practical. Achieving this will require mobilising up to £65 billion of capital investment. The Government is investing £6.6 billion over this Parliament on clean heat and improving energy efficiency in buildings. In addition, £6 billion of new Government funding will be made available from 2025 to 2028.

Green GEN Cymru: Licensing

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions she has had with OFGEM in relation to an application by Green Gen Cymru for a license to operate as an Independent Distribution Network Operator.

Andrew Bowie: Network regulation, including the ability to grant Distribution Network Operator licenses, is a matter for Ofgem as the independent energy regulator. As such, the government does not comment on Ofgem’s decision making on licence applications.

Renewable Energy: Community Development

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the oral contribution of 24 June 2023 by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero in the eighteenth sitting of the Public Bill Committee on the Energy Bill [Lords], Official report column 544, when she plans to provide an update on the next steps on community energy generation.

Graham Stuart: Following Minister Bowie’s commitment on 24 June 2023 to update on next steps, on 11 August 2023 the Government announced the £10m Community Energy Fund, which enables rural and urban communities across England to access grant funding to develop local renewable energy projects for investment. The fund is England only as the devolved nations have their own support schemes for community energy.

Hydroelectric Power and Nuclear Power: Costs

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has made a recent comparative estimate of the economic cost of delivering baseload provision to the national grid from (a) pumped-hydro storage and (b) new nuclear solutions.

Andrew Bowie: Data on cost estimates for electricity generation technologies and cost estimates for storage technologies along with their methodologies, data and assumptions are found in the Electricity Generation Costs and Storage Cost and Technical Assumptions reports respectively, published by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. These are not directly comparable for pumped hydro storage and nuclear generation given the different cost base and operating characteristics. These reports can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electricity-generation-costs-2023 and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/storage-cost-and-technical-assumptions-for-electricity-storage-technologies.

Wind Power: North Sea

Clive Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the factors behind Vattenfall’s decision to stop development of the Norfolk Boreas offshore wind farm.

Graham Stuart: Final investment decisions are based on commercially privileged information specific to each project developer. The Government has engaged extensively with renewables developers over the past year and is aware that they have faced unprecedented global economic challenges resulting in supply chain bottlenecks, increases in capital costs, and a rising cost of finance. The Department reviews the Contracts for Difference scheme (the main support mechanism for renewable projects) every year and updates its evidence base to include reliable new industry data.

Wind Power: North Sea

Clive Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an estimate of the number of jobs supported by the existing supply chain contracts awarded as part of the Norfolk Boreas offshore wind farm.

Graham Stuart: The Government does not hold this data.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the full-time trained strength of the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force will be in 2025.

James Heappey: The Defence Comand Paper Refresh confirmed that the size of the Armed Forces would remain at its previously planned size, as outlined in Defence Comman Paper 2021.

Afghanistan: Refugees

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy applications have been awaiting an initial eligibility decision for more than (a) three, (b) six, (c) 12, (d) 18 and (e) 24 months.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy applications are awaiting an initial eligibility decision from his Department.

James Heappey: HMG knows who worked for, or alongside the UK Government in Afghanistan. We have therefore rightly prioritised the way we process ARAP applications by identifying those we know to be eligible and in need of our support. The Ministry of Defence has, through the recruitment of more caseworkers and improved processes, made significant progress in processing ARAP applications. This has resulted in over 58,000 decisions being issued to applicants in the last three months. As of 5 September 2023, 2,026 Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) applicants are awaiting an eligibility decision. Of these: a) 38 have been awaiting an eligibility decision for more than three months;b) 98 have been waiting more than six months;c) 214 have been waiting more than 12 months;d) 364 have been waiting more than 18 months; ande) 745 have been waiting more than 24 months. In addition, there are 567 ARAP applicants who have been awaiting an eligibility decision for less than three months. We are working at pace to resolve the small number of remaining complex cases, of which many require consultation with other Government Departments.

Afghanistan: Refugees

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy applications were awaiting processing by his Department as of 1 September 2023.

James Heappey: As of 1 September 2023, only 2,137 cases were awaiting an Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) eligibility decision. We have made significant progress and have issued over 58,000 decisions in the last three months. We are working at pace to resolve a small number of remaining complex cases, of which many require consultation with other Government Departments.

Ministry of Defence: Email

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 25 July 2023 to Question 194793 on Ministry of Defence: Correspondence, if he will make a statement to the House once the assessment on email traffic from his Department to .ML domains has been completed.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the comments made by a Departmental spokesperson on 27 July 2023, how many emails were sent from his Department to .ML domains in each year since 2010.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Ministry of Defence takes the security of our people, our information and our systems very seriously. While all sensitive information is shared on systems which would prevent such misdirection, policies are put in place on all email systems to minimise the risk of such mistakes. On OFFICIAL systems, data loss prevention tools will prompt users who seek to send OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE information outside of Government domains, drawing attention to, and allowing the correction of, errors such as mistyped domain names. Investigations are still ongoing however to date, we have identified 55 emails that have been sent to the .ML top level domain since January 2022. Of these, it is assessed that 15 were misdirected emails, that were destined for a .MIL address. We are confident that this small number of emails did not contain any technical data or information that could compromise operational security. Seven of these were sent in 2022, and eight in 2023.

Armed Forces

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 12 of Defence’s response to a more contested and volatile world, published on 18 July 2023, CP 901, what the difference in force levels is between DCP 21 and DCP23.

James Heappey: DCP23 states that Defence will maintain force levels broadly at the levels announced in DCP21.The last quarterly update of service personnel statistics was released on 22 June 23.https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-2023

Global Response Force

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Defence’s response to a more contested and volatile world, published on 18 July 2023, CP 901, how many personnel from what service will be part of the Global Response Force.

James Heappey: The Global Response Force will combine existing capabilities to deliver a joint force able to operate globally and in support of NATO. It will enhance integration across domains, bringing together forces from across land, sea, air, space and cyber.

Afghanistan: Refugees

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy applications his Department has (a) received and (b) processed in August 2023.

James Heappey: In August 2023, 1,330 applications to the ARAP scheme were received, and an estimated 31,963 applications were processed.

Armed Forces: Childcare

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which minister in his Department is responsible for delivering a Defence Early Years Strategy.

Dr Andrew Murrison: As Minister for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families, I am responsible for all policy matters relating to Service personnel and their families. While childcare is not a core output of Defence, it is recognised that difficulties in accessing appropriate childcare can be a factor in retaining Service personnel and we have launched several initiatives to address this.In January 2022, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) launched the UK Armed Forces Families Strategy 2022-2032. The childcare component of this strategy seeks to ensure that families have access to good quality, safe and enriching childcare. This allows Service personnel to fully engage with their duties, gives their families greater opportunity, and improves wellbeing for all involved.In September 2022, the MOD also launched the Defence UK Wraparound Childcare scheme. Under this initiative, the MOD meets the wraparound childcare costs of children aged 4 - 11 of eligible Service parents, saving families up to £3,000 per child per year. At present, over 6,000 families are making use of the scheme, a figure which is likely to increase.In those overseas locations where Service personnel and their dependants have no statutory entitlement to access host nation provision, the MOD has committed to mirror as far as is reasonably practicable the statutory provision available in England. Where MOD-provided overseas settings have capacity, the 30 hours entitlement will be provided through those settings, free of charge.More recently, MOD has established a new project focused on supporting the development of childcare capacity in the Early Years setting (0-3 years) on or near Defence locations, to exploit the opportunity created by the recent Budget announcement on the expansion of free childcare places.

Veterans: Identity Cards

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on implementing phase 2 of the roll-out of veterans' identity cards.

Dr Andrew Murrison: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Angus (Mr Doogan) to Question 193995 on 18 July 2023.Veterans: Identity Cards (docx, 23.2KB)

King's Guards: Uniforms

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has taken recent steps to develop faux fur King's Guards ceremonial caps.

James Cartlidge: Our Guardsmen take immense pride in wearing the bearskin cap which is an iconic image of Britain, and the quality and sustainability of the caps is incredibly important. To date, and to the Department’s knowledge, no faux fur sample has been produced and tested which meets the standards set by the Department to provide an effective replacement for the bearskin ceremonial caps.

Armed Forces: Vacancies

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the interview by the Minister for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families with the Financial Times on 9 August 2023, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle skills gaps in the armed forces.

Dr Andrew Murrison: On 19 June 2023 the Ministry of Defence published the Haythornthwaite Review into Armed Forces Incentivisation. Defence is already the largest provider of technical apprenticeships in the UK and we will now look to implement the report’s 67 recommendations, establishing a holistic reward and incentivisation strategy to attract and retain skills, maximise operational effectiveness, and provide a modern, flexible, and people-centric system fit for the future which is shaped around emerging generations’ needs. To facilitate this, we are working to implement the Pan Defence Skills Framework (PDSF) as a new Whole Force approach to identifying, defining, and managing the skills of Defence’s people and their associated roles. The PDSF will be used by Regular and Reserve Armed Forces personnel as well as Civil Servants, giving Defence a Whole Force view of the skills we have and allowing us to see the places where we need to focus our resources. The PDSF will also enable us to better recognise skills, as recommended in the Haythornthwaite Review, to be able to better reward Armed Forces personnel for the skills they hold. Extensive work is currently underway to codify the skills we have in Defence. The PDSF project team expect to begin a phased roll-out of the PDSF through 2024. As we move forward, the data provided by the PDSF will facilitate flexible deployment, zig-zag careers, lateral entry, empowered careers and will introduce more transparency to appraisal and promotion. It will ultimately enable teams to deploy personnel where they are needed most, helping Defence create the fighting force the nation needs for the future.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the interview by the Minister for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families with the Financial Times on 9 August 2023, what steps his Department is taking to recruit more personnel with (a) autism, (b) ADHD and (c) Asperger's into the armed forces.

Dr Andrew Murrison: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 22 November 2022 to Question 89028 to the hon. Member for Ipswich (Mr Hunt).Armed Forces: Neurodiversity (docx, 23.3KB)

Armed Forces: Neurodiversity

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department is taking steps to help neurodiverse people make a contribution to the work of the armed forces.

Dr Andrew Murrison: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 22 November 2022 to Question 89028.Armed Forces: Neurodiversity (docx, 23.4KB)

Army: Recruitment

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to release an update to the Future Soldier 2021 document following the publication of the Defence Command Paper Refresh in July 2023.

James Heappey: As set out in response to Question 188673, the Army is continuing to implement Future Soldier. This has remained, and will remain, under review as Defence continues to ensure its personnel numbers and force design are fit for purpose.The Chief of the General Staff outlined proposed structural changes in his speech to the 2023 RUSI Land Warfare Conference in June, with the aim of making the Army better prepared to warfight. There are currently no plans to update the Future Soldier Guide published in November 2021: https://www.army.mod.uk/media/15057/adr010310-futuresoldierguide_30nov.pdf

F-35 Aircraft: Accidents

Dave Doogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Service Inquiry into the loss of the F-35B Lightning ZM152 (BK-18) of 617 Squadron, embarked on HMS Queen Elizabeth on 17 November 2021, published by the Ministry of Defence and Defence Safety Authority on 10 August 2023, what steps he is taking to mitigate the contributing factors identified in the report.

James Cartlidge: The Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy recognise the factors identified in the report and its recommendations, with work already undertaken to address them.Significant improvements have been made to the Air Safety Management System and overriding Joint embarked safety culture; recent exercises aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth have provided first-hand evidence of the positive progress made.

Air Force: Recruitment

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of accusations of discrimination against white men in recruitment decisions by the Royal Air Force on quality of recruits.

Dr Andrew Murrison: There has been no reduction in the quality of recruits joining the Royal Air Force (RAF) and all individuals joining the RAF must meet the required standard. Defence will continue to do all it can to attract the best people from the widest pool of talent, whatever their background, gender or ethnicity.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Dave Doogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the status of the five H135 aircraft is procured for Project Matcha.

James Cartlidge: The five Airbus H135 aircraft, previously procured for Project MATCHA, are currently being maintained in an airworthy state at Royal Air Force Shawbury awaiting a Defence decision on their disposal.

Armed Forces: Length of Service

Dave Doogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average length of service in armed forces was for personnel who departed the services in each of the last 30 years.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The requested data prior to 2008 predates the centralised Joint Personnel Administration System, and it is therefore taking time to investigate if data can be provided to answer the hon. Member's Question. I will write to him when the investigations are complete, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.

Nuclear Submarines

Dave Doogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 27 May 2023 to Question 190893 on the defence nuclear enterprise, what his Department's timeline is for establishing a definition of the nuclear enterprise for reporting purposes.

James Cartlidge: The definition of the scope of activity within the defence nuclear enterprise is planned to be agreed by the end of September. The financial reporting against this definition will be published at Supplementary Estimates early next year.

Type 23 Frigates

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the budget is for the Life Extension programme of the Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigates.

James Cartlidge: The Type 23 frigates are not the subject of a formal life extension programme. The ships undergo a planned series of Upkeep periods in order to maintain their condition and introduce capability updates. The current allocated funding to deliver all Type 23 frigate class Upkeeps to their out of service date is £676.7 million over 10 years, this includes the costs allocated in financial year 2023-24.

HMS Argyll: Repairs and Maintenance

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to the public purse was of the most recent refurbishment of HMS Argyll.

James Cartlidge: The approximate cost for refitting HMS Argyll between 2015 and 2017 was £40.8 million.

Ministry of Defence: Motor Vehicles

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2023 to Question 191261 on Ministry of Defence: Motor Vehicles, how many vehicles in his Department's civilian fleet are (a) electric and (b) plug-in hybrid by (i) brand and (ii) country of manufacture.

James Cartlidge: As of 4 September 2023, there are 760 electric vehicles and 1,415 hybrid vehicles leased under the Phoenix II, otherwise know as the 'white fleet'.There are currently electric and hybrid vehicles made by Citroen, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Land Rover, Maxus, MG, Mini, Nissan, Peugeot, Renault, Skoda, Toyota, and Volkswagen in the 'white fleet'. The Ministry of Defence does not hold a central list of the country of manufacture for every vehicle leased under Phoenix II, therefore I am unable to offer details of the country of manufacture for the vehicles within scope of the question.

HMS Somerset: Repairs and Maintenance

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much the most recent refurbishment of HMS Somerset cost.

James Cartlidge: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 20 July 2023 to Question number 194356.HMS Somerset: Repairs and Maintenance (docx, 23.0KB)

Defence: Procurement

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to release an update to the Defence Security Industrial Strategy (DSIS) 2021 following the publication of the Defence Command Paper Refresh in July 2023.

James Cartlidge: The Defence and Security Industrial Strategy (DSIS) was reviewed as part of the development of the Defence Command Paper 'Defence's response to a more contested and volatile world', published on 18 July 2023. The Command Paper recognised the significant progress made since DSIS, alongside further emphasis on key priority areas – e.g. spiral development, robust and resilient supply chains, and developing a new alliance with industry.

Ministry of Defence: Disability

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the National Disability Strategy published on 28 July 2021, which of his Department’s commitments in that strategy that have not been paused as a result of legal action have (a) been fully, (b) been partially and (c) not been implemented.

Dr Andrew Murrison: In January 2022, the High Court declared the National Disability Strategy (NDS) was unlawful because the UK Disability Survey, which informed it, was held to be a voluntary consultation that failed to comply with the legal requirements on public consultations The Ministry of Defence (MOD) had five commitments included in the National Disability Strategy. These included:1. By September 2021, the MOD will publish a plan to bring more disabled people into the civilian workforce to meet its target of 15.3% by 20302. MOD will explore how to increase opportunities for disabled people to serve as part of the Armed Forces reserves by the end of 2023, including:- promoting better use of disabled reservists for appropriate roles across the Armed Forces- guaranteeing interviews for disabled reservists who meet the minimum requirements when recruiting for those roles3. By 2025, MOD will deliver the Armed Forces Recruiting Programme to recruit more diverse military personnel, including disabled people4. We will experiment with the recruitment of more diverse military personnel into the new National Cyber Force, using it as a pathfinder for increased inclusivity5. The Office for Veterans’ Affairs will share best practice and insight from the veterans’ adaptive sport community with disability organisations and providers of sport and activity by March 2022Commitment 1, to publish a plan to bring more disabled people into the civilian workforce has been partly implemented. A plan is in development and a number of relevant activities have so far been identified and are progressing. We continue to monitor the effects of the actions, which will make Defence a more attractive, diverse and inclusive employer. Commitment 2, to explore how to increase opportunities for disabled people to join Defence, has not been implemented. Defence wishes to minimise the risk of acting inconsistently with the Court’s declaration, without compromising on the ambitious agenda we are delivering for disabled people. As such, we are disappointed to have had to pause the work on guaranteed interviews for disabled reservists. However, this does not prevent disabled people who meet the minimum requirements from applying to be a reservist. Our intent remains to contribute to the wider commitment of creating more opportunities for disabled people to participate and thrive across the whole Force, not just as reservists; to protect and promote the rights of disabled people; and to tackle the barriers that prevent disabled people from fully benefiting from, and contributing fully to, every aspect of our society. Commitment 3, to deliver the Armed Forces Recruiting Programme (AFRP) to recruit more diverse military personnel, is in the process of being implemented. The AFRP is responsible for the delivery of a new single, tri-Service, Armed Forces Recruiting Service (AFRS). A key requirement of the future solution is placing candidates at the heart of the Armed Forces recruiting experience, keeping them inspired and motivated whilst recruiting from the broadest spectrum of society to improve diversity and representation. A key tenet of the Programme is to establish an agile and flexible approach to meet the demand of the Armed Forces across roles and people requirements. The Armed Forces demand requirement is updated annually and will be delivered through the supplier and the AFRS working collaboratively. It will be fully implemented in 2027. Commitment 4, to use the National Cyber Force as a pathfinder for inclusivity, has been fully implemented. In 2021, the MOD announced a Cyber Pathfinder Scheme to increase inclusion in Defence. This is now open and trains and assesses military personnel joining the National Cyber Force. Commitment 5, to share best practice and insight from the veterans’ adaptive sport community with disability organisations and providers of sport and activity, was fully implemented in March 2022. We remain fully committed to supporting disabled people in the UK through creating more opportunities, protecting their rights, and ensuring they fully benefit from, and can contribute to, every aspect of our society. To support this, the MOD will be providing further details of our recent achievements to improve disabled people’s lives in the forthcoming Disability Action Plan consultation due for publication in the summer. Ahead of this, the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work will write providing a list of these achievements and will place a copy in the House Library.

Treasury

Treasury: Written Questions

Julian Knight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps their Department is taking to improve response times to written parliamentary questions.

Julian Knight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what data their Department holds on the average response time to written parliamentary questions in the last six months; and what assessment they have made of the adequacy of that response time.

Gareth Davies: Treasury ministers have responded to over 97% of all parliamentary questions, within their respective targets, so far in this parliamentary session. This is based on Treasury’s own data and the Procedure Committee will publish final data following the end of this session. Treasury continually seeks to maintain and improve its responsiveness to MP’s questions. To that end, officials regularly review internal processes and deliver relevant training to those involved.

Further Education: VAT Exemptions

Ian Byrne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will hold discussions with the Minister of State for Education on the potential merits of exempting (a) colleges and (b) other further education organisations from VAT.

Victoria Atkins: Many colleges and further education organisations qualify as eligible bodies so already benefit from a VAT exemption as their supplies of education are free from VAT. Whilst there are no plans to make changes to the VAT treatment of FE colleges, the Government does keep the tax system under constant review.

Pensions: Tax Allowances

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the value of tax relief on pension contributions for (a) all, (b) higher rate and (c) basic rate tax payers in (i) England, (ii) Scotland, (iii) Wales and (iv) Northern Ireland was for the 2022-23 financial year; and if he will provide a breakdown of figures by parliamentary constituency.

Victoria Atkins: Estimates of income tax relief provided at the Basic, Higher and Additional rates on pension contributions for the 2020- 2021 tax year can be found in Table 6.1 of The Private pension statistics publication. Estimates for the 2021-2022 tax year will be published on 27th September 2023. Data for the 2022-2023 tax year is not yet available. Regional breakdowns on pensions tax relief are not published by HMRC and could only be provided reliably at disproportionate cost.

Taxation

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to reduce taxes on lower earners.

Julian Knight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will reduce income tax rates in this parliament.

Julian Knight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will reduce national insurance contributions in this parliament

Victoria Atkins: As with all aspects of the tax system, the Government keeps income tax and NICs rates under review. Any decisions on future changes will be taken by the Chancellor at fiscal events in the context of the wider public finances.

Child Benefit

Ben Lake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of families have been affected by the High Income Child Benefit Charge in each of the last five years; whether he has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of a higher threshold for household income to determine eligibility for child benefit; and if he will increase the threshold for the High Income Child Benefit Charge in line with inflation.

Martyn Day: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to review the income thresholds for the payment of the High Income Child Benefit Charge.

Victoria Atkins: The Government publishes annual data on individuals who have declared a High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) liability and individuals that have opted out of getting Child Benefit payments, available on GOV.UK:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-benefit-statistics-annual-release-august-2022/child-benefit-statistics-annual-release-data-at-august-2022

Revenue and Customs: Staff

Ian Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff working on Research and Development tax relief schemes in HMRC have (a) prior experience in and (b) qualifications relevant to the technological sector.

Victoria Atkins: HMRC does not expect staff working on Research and Development (R&D tax relief schemes to be experts in the field of technology. That is not required because it is HMRC’s responsibility to ask questions to establish that the claimant understands and has correctly applied the definition of qualifying R&D. HMRC are seeking to gather information to test against the requirements for eligibility. HMRC staff work with customers to understand the commercial context of their activities and whether they qualify for R&D relief and as part of the checking process. Where HMRC deal with complex matters HMRC staff can seek technical support or specialist advice.

Revenue and Customs: Remote Working

Julian Knight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the impact on operational delivery at His Majesty's Revenue and Customs of its work from home policies.

Victoria Atkins: HMRC’s approach is in line with many private and public sector organisations. HMRC analysis shows no material difference in outcomes for colleagues working remotely compared to those working in the office.

Tax Yields: Scotland

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 28 March 2023 to Question 170744 on Tax Yields: Scotland, how much and what proportion of each tax was (a) retained by the Scottish government and (b) transferred to the UK Exchequer in the latest period for which data is available.

Victoria Atkins: Detail on funding for the Scottish Budget can be found on the Scottish Fiscal Commission website: https://www.fiscalcommission.scot/explainers/funding-for-the-scottish-budget/.

Agricultural Products: UK Internal Trade

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of trader support service declarations on access between the Northern Ireland and Great Britain markets for agricultural products.

Victoria Atkins: The Windsor Framework will ensure that goods being sold in Northern Ireland will be freed of unnecessary paperwork, checks and duties, using only ordinary commercial information rather than customs processes or complex certification requirements for agri-food. The Trader Support Service (TSS) is free to use and helps businesses with completing declarations without them needing to engage directly with HMRC systems. The TSS will continue to play an important role in helping businesses moving goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework, including facilitating the movement of agricultural products. The Movement Assistance Scheme (MAS) is also available, which provides additional financial support for traders moving agricultural products from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

Premium Bonds

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has considered the potential merits of increasing the premium bond investment ceiling.

Andrew Griffith: The Government keeps the Premium Bond investment limit under review, to ensure that the limit continues to reflect the interests of savers, taxpayers, and the wider financial sector.

Mortgages: Interest Rates

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to help support homeowners who are unable to make mortgage payments following increases in interest rates in the last 12 months.

Andrew Griffith: The pricing of mortgages is a commercial decision for lenders in which the Government does not intervene. However, we recognise this is a concerning time for mortgage borrowers. On Friday 23 June the Chancellor met with the UK’s largest mortgage lenders, UK Finance and the Financial Conduct Authority to discuss how lenders will provide support for those who encounter problems keeping up with their mortgage payments. At this meeting, lenders agreed to a new Mortgage Charter to support borrowers struggling with their mortgage payments that was published on 26 June. The Charter sets out the standards signatory lenders will adopt when helping their customers, including new flexibilities to help customers manage their mortgage payments over a short period. The Charter is in addition to the significant safeguards already in place for consumers in the mortgage market. Financial Conduct Authority rules require lenders to engage individually with their customers who are struggling or who are worried about their payments in order to provide tailored support. The Government has also taken measures aimed at helping people to avoid repossession, including Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) loans, and protection in the courts through the Pre-Action Protocol.

Credit: Regulation

Dame Angela Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department plans to publish the outcome of the consultation entitled Regulation of Buy-Now Pay Later: consultation on draft legislation.

Dame Angela Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department plans to lay before Parliament legislative proposals relating to the consultation entitled Regulation of Buy-Now Pay Later: consultation on draft legislation.

Andrew Griffith: The Government’s consultation on proposed draft legislation to bring Buy-Now Pay-Later into regulation closed in April. The Government has been carefully considering stakeholder feedback to this consultation and intends to publish a consultation response in which it will set out next steps, in due course.

Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services

Patricia Gibson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department consulted relevant stakeholders on the closure of HMRC's self-assessment helpline between 12 June and 4 September 2023 prior to the announcement of that closure; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of that closure on customers that are not able to access HMRC's digital support services during that period.

Victoria Atkins: The summer quarter is the quietest for Self-Assessment (SA) queries. HMRC piloted the temporary and time-limited closure of the SA helpline so that c.350 advisers could be moved to other work, including clearing post items, which experience heavier demand at this time of year.The SA helpline reopened on 4 September, five months prior to the SA filing deadline of 31 January.Around two-thirds of all Self-Assessment calls can be resolved online by customers; piloting a seasonal Self-Assessment helpline is about positively encouraging people to use these services when they can.The intention of the pilot was to evaluate the impact of freeing up HMRC advisors to help those with urgent or complex queries or who cannot access digital services, and to work on correspondence.HMRC will evaluate the impact of the pilot and gather feedback from customers and external bodies as a part of the evaluation.

Mortgages: Interest Rates

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support is available to homeowners who have accrued unmanageable debt due to increased mortgage interest rates.

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to increased mortgage interest rates, what steps his Department is taking to promote credit unions.

Andrew Griffith: The pricing of mortgages is a commercial decision for lenders, including relevant credit unions, in which the Government does not intervene. However, we recognise this is a concerning time for mortgage borrowers. On Friday 23 June the Chancellor met with the UK’s largest mortgage lenders, UK Finance and the Financial Conduct Authority to discuss how lenders will provide support for those who encounter problems keeping up with their mortgage payments. At this meeting, lenders agreed to a new Mortgage Charter to support borrowers struggling with their mortgage payments that was published on 26 June. The Charter sets out the standards signatory lenders, which includes some credit unions, will adopt when helping their customers, including new flexibilities to help customers manage their mortgage payments over a short period. The Charter is in addition to the significant safeguards already in place for consumers in the mortgage market. Financial Conduct Authority rules require lenders to engage individually with their customers who are struggling or who are worried about their payments in order to provide tailored support. The Government has also taken measures aimed at helping people to avoid repossession, including Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) loans, and protection in the courts through the Pre-Action Protocol. More widely, the Government is taking forward amendments to the Credit Unions Act 1979 through the Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA) 2023 to allow the credit union sector to grow, by offering a wider range of products and services to their members. FSMA 2023 is central to delivering the Government’s vision to grow the economy and create an open, sustainable, and technologically advanced financial services sector.

Bank Services: Vetting

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had discussions with representatives of banks on safeguards to allow people to open or have a bank account regardless of political, personal or moral beliefs.

Adam Holloway: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of legislative and regulatory safeguards for preventing financial institutions from (a) refusing to provide and (b) withdrawing services from people on the basis of their lawfully-held political, philosophical and religious beliefs.

Adam Holloway: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to include a review of the potential impact of contract termination by (a) banks and (b) other financial institutions on freedom of expression in its consultation on the Payment Services Regulations 2017.

Andrew Griffith: The Government has been unequivocal in its view that contracts of payment account facilities should not be terminated on grounds relating to users’ lawful freedom of expression or political beliefs. The Government strongly supports this fundamental right afforded to all people in British society. On 21 July, the Treasury published its policy statement, setting out its plans to enhance requirements relating to payment account contract termination. These changes will extend the notice period for contract termination to 90 days (subject to limited exceptions), and mandate that providers give a clear and tailored reason for termination, unless to do so would be unlawful. Following the announcement, I met with the UK’s largest banks and building societies, whose representatives expressed their commitment to the principle of non-discrimination based on lawful freedom of expression, and to bringing their policies in line with the planned reforms where needed, as soon as possible. Additionally, I note that regulation 18 of the Payment Accounts Regulations 2015 already expressly prohibits credit institutions from discriminating against UK consumers by reason of their religion or belief, or political opinion, as they access payment accounts. The Government has made clear that it expects providers to abide by this legal requirement, and the FCA to use its powers as appropriate to ensure compliance with this requirement. Further to this, the Chancellor has written to the FCA to request an urgent review into the matter of ‘de-banking’. The FCA is currently undertaking this review and will share the evidence and its findings with the Treasury. This will help inform whether further action is necessary to ensure nobody is being unfairly denied banking facilities.

Mortgages: Interest Rates

Fleur Anderson: What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Growth Plan of 23 September 2022 on mortgage rates.

Andrew Griffith: Over the course of 2022 high inflation from Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine saw interest rates increase across most Western Economies. This is why the Prime Minister made halving inflation one of the Government’s five priorities this year. The latest Bank of England forecast shows we are on track to halve by the end of the year.

Duty Free Allowance: EU Countries

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of permitting the sale of duty free goods to people on flights between Northern Ireland and EU airports.

Gareth Davies: The government is committed to preserving frictionless movement of people and goods between Northern Ireland and Ireland. This is important to communities across Northern Ireland.Enabling duty-free shopping between Northern Ireland and the EU (of which Ireland is a member) without also introducing border controls on the island of Ireland would lead to significant distortions of trade as well as a significant revenue loss for both UK and Ireland. This is because it would create a legal route for unlimited amounts of alcohol and tobacco to flow into the UK market duty-free.

Carbon Emissions: Taxation

Mr Rob Roberts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the average cost for each household of (a) taxes and (b) other levies that support net zero policies.

Gareth Davies: The energy price cap is currently set to £1,923 and is made up of different costs, for example the wholesale cost of gas and electricity, costs to supply energy on the network and VAT. This includes environmental and social costs (“green levies”) worth approximately £170 per year for the typical household.Environmental and social costs play an important role in reducing energy costs by supporting investment in renewables and helping to reduce our exposure to global price volatility – the key driver of high energy bills. Taxes are important in delivering our environmental policy objectives, with several taxes designed to encourage businesses and consumers to make greener choices, such as Landfill Tax and the Climate Change Levy.

Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps HM Revenue and Customs takes to project the volume of calls to its call centres; what the average wait time was for callers to HM Revenue and Customs in June 2023; how any staff are scheduled to answer calls to the call centre during peak periods; and what the average number of calls in peak periods was in June 2023.

Victoria Atkins: HMRC performance data is published on a monthly and quarterly basis and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-monthly-performance-reports https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-quarterly-performance-updates

Boundary Outlet: Business Rates

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the planned timetable is for the Valuation Office Agency reviewing the business rate valuation representations made by Boundary Outlet headquartered in Colne, Lancashire; and if he will hold discussions with the Valuation Office Agency on expediting the assessment process.

Victoria Atkins: The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) carries out its valuations independently of Ministers and is currently meeting its statutory deadlines in relation to its Check, Challenge, Appeal (CCA) service. It is not possible to disclose information about the specific CCA cases involved, as the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005 restricts the VOA from providing this information to protect ratepayer confidentiality. The VOA’s 2022-2023 annual report, which will contain the most recent performance statistics, is planned for publication in November.

Hospitality Industry: VAT

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the impact of VAT on hospitality venues.

Victoria Atkins: Since the start of the pandemic, over £37 billion has been provided to the tourism, leisure and hospitality sectors in the form of grants, loans and tax breaks. VAT is the UK's third largest tax and is forecast to raise £161 billion in 2023/24, helping to fund key spending priorities such as important public services, including the NHS, education and defence. The previous VAT relief for tourism and hospitality cost over £8 billion and reintroducing it would come at a significant further cost. While there are no plans to reduce the rate of VAT paid by hospitality businesses, the Government keeps all taxes under review.

Members: Correspondence

Sir Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to respond to correspondence of 30 June 2023 from the hon, Member for North East Hertfordshire, enclosing a letter from the Chief Executive of Johnson Matthey.

Victoria Atkins: I responded to the Rt Honourable Member on 20 July 2023.

Taxation: Scotland

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what data his Department holds on revenue accrued to the Exchequer in (a) income tax, (b) national insurance contributions, (c) corporation tax, (d) north sea revenue, (e) non domestic rates, (f) fuel duties, (g) VAT, (h) VAT refunds, (i) alcohol duties, (j) tobacco duties, (k) land and buildings transaction tax, (l) environmental levies, (m) reserved stamp duties, (n) other receipts and (o) other taxes from people domiciled in Scotland in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 financial years.

Victoria Atkins: HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) hold some of the data requested.HMRC publish statistics on Scottish non-savings, non-dividends Income Tax liabilities (not receipts) and the latest release is for 2021-22: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/scottish-income-tax-outturn-statistics-2021-to-2022 For other data requested, estimates of expenditure and revenue raised from Scotland can be found in the Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) publication.Estimates for 2021-22 can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/government-expenditure-revenue-scotland-gers-2021-22/Estimates for 2022-23 can be found here:https://www.gov.scot/publications/government-expenditure-revenue-scotland-2022-23/

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Young Offenders

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what Government (a) funding and (b) guidance is available to voluntary and community sector organisations working to reduce youth offending.

Stuart Andrew: The government recognises the vital role that youth services and the voluntary and community sector has in reducing youth offending and the Beating Crime Plan 2021 highlighted the importance of early intervention for all young people; targeted support for those at risk of involvement in criminality; and targeted interventions for those who have started to offend.The Youth Justice Sport Fund (YJSF) is a recently completed early intervention grant programme led by the Ministry of Justice, delivered across England and Wales between November 2022 and March 2023. This forms part of the £300m package of early intervention funding that was announced in May 2022. The £5m programme supported 220 voluntary and community sector organisations to work with 10–17-year-olds considered vulnerable to involvement in crime and anti-social behaviour, using sport as a vehicle to address problem behaviour.The government has committed to a National Youth Guarantee: that by 2025, every young person will have access to regular clubs and activities, adventures away from home and opportunities to volunteer. This is supported by a three-year investment of over £500 million in youth services. The Youth Investment Fund, an integral part of the National Youth Guarantee, will invest over £300 million in creating and refurbishing up to 300 youth facilities in levelling up priority areas - the majority of which contain at least one anti-social behaviour hotspot. Additionally, through the Million Hours Fund, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will provide over a million hours of youth opportunities in areas with high levels of anti-social behaviour. Phase 1 of the fund has already delivered over £3m of funding to over 400 organisations to provide positive activities over the summer holidays.

Home Office: Young People

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has taken recent steps to work with (a) the Duke of Edinburgh Award, (b) other youth award schemes and (c) volunteer programmes to help promote (i) social cohesion and (ii) community safety.

Stuart Andrew: The government recognises the vital role that youth services and activities like the Duke of Edinburgh Award play in enhancing young people’s wellbeing, as well as significant benefits to social cohesion and community safety.Recognising this, the government has committed to a National Youth Guarantee: that by 2025, every young person will have access to regular clubs and activities, adventures away from home and opportunities to volunteer. This is supported by a three-year investment of over £500 million in youth services, reflecting young people's priorities and addressing imbalances in national youth spending with a firm focus on levelling up.Young people will also benefit from other elements of the National Youth Guarantee, and a broader package of award schemes and volunteer programmes, including offering the Duke of Edinburgh Award to every state secondary school, expanding uniformed youth groups and the #iwill youth volunteering fund, as well as providing further funding for the National Citizen Service (NCS), to bring young people from different backgrounds together. Additionally, through the Million Hours Fund, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will provide over a million hours of youth opportunities in areas with high levels of anti-social behaviour.

Advertising: Carbon Emissions

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of introducing a tobacco-style advertising ban on high carbon products.

Sir John Whittingdale: The Government has no plans to ban new categories of advertising, including on high carbon products.

National Lottery Heritage Fund: Religious Buildings

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what percentage of the National Heritage Lottery Fund’s grants have been awarded to local churches, chapels and meeting houses open for worship in each of the last ten years.

Sir John Whittingdale: Over the past decade, the National Lottery Heritage Fund has allocated 11% of its grants to support local churches, chapels, and meeting houses.

Religious Buildings: VAT

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending VAT relief on building works for all listed places of worship.

Sir John Whittingdale: The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme offers financial grants to cover VAT expenses incurred for the repair and upkeep of the country's listed places of worship. This scheme is accessible to all places of worship, irrespective of their denomination, provided they are listed and meet the specific eligibility requirements. Currently, there is no intention to expand the grant scheme further.

Religious Buildings: Finance

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what guidance her Department provides on financial support available from (a) her Department and (b) national heritage organisations for unlisted places of worship.

Sir John Whittingdale: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not hold the responsibility for funding support or guidance for non-listed places of worship. Successive Governments have followed the principle that it is for faith communities themselves to be responsible for the management and upkeep of their places of worship. However, some resources and alternative sources of guidance are available.Historic England’s Repair Grants for Heritage at Risk can allocate grants to unlisted structures possessing notable historic or architectural significance within conservation areas or London boroughs. The Heritage Funding Directory, maintained by The Heritage Alliance and the Architectural Heritage Fund, provides an extensive list of available funding sources for heritage assets that might not hold listed status.The National Lottery Heritage Fund also offers support to places of worship through its funding programmes, with the goal of bolstering the resilience of places of worship, building engagement with the local community and cultivating sustainability. The Heritage Fund does not require built environment assets to be designated and applications are assessed on their own merits and in competition with other applications.Unfortunately, some places of worship are vulnerable to hate crime. The Places of Worship Protective Security Funding Scheme is overseen by the Home Office and provides funding for places of worship and associated faith community centres that are vulnerable to hate crime. A separate scheme for synagogues is run by the Community Security Trust.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Developing Countries: Health Services

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans  to take with his international counterparts to include older people in commitments made at the United Nations High Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage in September 2023.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is committed to championing universal health coverage (UHC). In the 2019 Political Declaration on UHC, United Nations Member States committed to promote healthy and active ageing and to respond to the needs of ageing populations. We are working with other Member States to retain and build on that commitment at the 2023 UN High-Level Meeting. We continue to work with country partners and global organisations such as the World Health Organization on integrated and equitable approaches to strengthening health systems and achieving universal health coverage that meets the needs of people of all ages.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to advocate for the interests of older people at the UN high-level meeting on universal health coverage in September 2023.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is committed to championing universal health coverage (UHC). In the 2019 Political Declaration on UHC, United Nations Member States committed to promote healthy and active ageing and to respond to the needs of ageing populations. We are working with other Member States to retain and build on that commitment at the 2023 UN High-Level Meeting. We continue to work with country partners and global organisations such as the World Health Organization on integrated and equitable approaches to strengthening health systems and achieving universal health coverage that meets the needs of people of all ages.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans to take with his international counterparts to include older people in commitments made at the United Nations High Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage in September 2023.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is committed to championing universal health coverage (UHC). In the 2019 Political Declaration on UHC, United Nations Member States committed to promote healthy and active ageing and to respond to the needs of ageing populations. We are working with other Member States to retain and build on that commitment at the 2023 UN High-Level Meeting. We continue to work with country partners and global organisations such as the World Health Organization on integrated and equitable approaches to strengthening health systems and achieving universal health coverage that meets the needs of people of all ages.

Bahrain: Human Rights

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 July 2023 to Question 194645 on Bahrain: Prisoners, if he will publish his Department's assessment of what progress (a) has been made on and (b) on which areas of human rights by the Government of Bahrain.

David Rutley: The UK draws upon a range of sources when assessing the human rights situation in Bahrain. We welcome the positive steps taken by the Government of Bahrain leading to progress in a number of human rights areas, some of which have been directly supported by the UK. This includes the development of Alternative Sentencing legislation (which has benefitted over 5,650 individuals to date), the introduction of open prisons, the implementation of a new juvenile justice system, and the establishment of specialist human rights oversight bodies. The UK remains committed to supporting reforms in Bahrain and to encouraging the government to meet its human rights commitments.

Occupied Territories: Violence

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the (a) prevalence and (b) impact of violence by settlers towards (i) Palestinians and (ii) their property in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

David Rutley: All Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live in peace and security. As the occupying power, we urge Israel to fulfil its responsibilities, including ensuring the protection of the civilian population, including from acts of violence by Israeli settlers. In response to incidents of settler violence, we urge Israel to thoroughly investigate, to bring those responsible to justice, and end the culture of impunity. The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon made this clear most recently in his phone call with the Israeli chargé d'affaires on 4 July . The Rt Hon Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP also condemned settler violence in the House in a debate on violence in the West Bank on 4 July.

Alaa Abdel Fattah

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with international counterparts to help secure the release of Egyptian-British dual national Alaa Abd el-Fattah in Egypt.

David Rutley: The UK Government regularly discusses human rights issues in Egypt with our international partners, including Mr El-Fattah's case, both privately and in forums such as the UN Human Rights Council. Ministers and officials continue to raise Mr El-Fattah's case at the highest levels with the Egyptian government and have been consistently clear in our calls for his release, whilst continuing to press the need for urgent consular access.The Foreign Secretary has raised Mr El-Fattah's case on several occasions with Egyptian Foreign Minister Shoukry, most recently on 2 March. The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, has raised the case several times with the Egyptian Ambassador, most recently on 10 July and also raised it with Foreign Minister Shoukry during his visit to Cairo on 4 April.

Pakistan: Human Rights and Security

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Pakistani counterpart regarding (a) security and (b) human rights in Pakistan.

Leo Docherty: We continue to monitor the human rights situation in Pakistan closely and regularly raise the issue at a senior level with the Government of Pakistan. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for South Asia, spoke with the Minister for Human Rights, Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada on 27 June to emphasise the importance of peaceful democratic processes, human rights and adherence to the rule of law. He spoke with the APPG (All Party Parliamentary Group) for Pakistani minorities on 5 September. In a letter to caretaker Foreign Minister Jilani on 21 August, Lord Ahmad emphasised the need for Pakistan's citizens to be able to exercise their democratic rights and participate in peaceful, inclusive, credible elections.

Afghanistan: Education

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information his Department holds on the (a) location and (b) status of Matiullah Wesa; and what steps his Department is taking to support Sustainable Development Goal 4 in Afghanistan.

Leo Docherty: The UK Government has repeatedly condemned the Taliban's decisions to restrict women and girls' education. We continue to support the delivery of education and Sustainable Development Goal 4 in Afghanistan through our bilateral and multilateral contributions and we are committed to upholding the rights of women and girls. We support the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan's call for the Taliban to clarify the reasons for Matiullah Wesa's arrest, and to ensure he has access to legal representation and contact with his family.

Convention on Cluster Munitions and Ottawa Convention

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that signatories to the (a) Ottawa Treaty and (b) Convention on Cluster Munitions are upholding their obligations.

Leo Docherty: As a State Party to both the Convention on Cluster Munitions and the Ottawa Treaty, the UK fulfils its obligations. The UK discourages States from using cluster munitions or anti-personnel mines and continues to encourage non-States Party to accede to each Convention. The UK undertakes programmatic work to support other States Parties' implementation of each Convention and remains committed to ending the suffering and casualties caused by cluster munitions and anti-personnel mines. The UK has entered the third iteration of its global demining programme, which invested £146 million in 14 countries between 2018 and 2022.

Developing Countries: Older People

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans to take to include older people in developing countries in his Department’s White Paper on International Development.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK will produce a White Paper in late 2023 which sets out a vision for global development that delivers on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, poverty reduction, economic growth and tackling climate change.The precise content of the White Paper will be determined by consultation across the UK government, civil society, those in the sector (and outside it) in the UK and our international partners.  The open call for evidence will close on 16 September. In parallel, UK government officials are undertaking targeted outreach to stakeholders and partners in different areas of development policy, and the FCDO global network are consulting around the world with partner organisations and countries. External engagement has involved consultations looking at inclusion as part of the White Paper development.

Convention on Cluster Munitions

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the implementation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Leo Docherty: As a State Party to both the Convention on Cluster Munitions and the Ottawa Treaty, the UK fulfils its obligations. The UK discourages States from using cluster munitions or anti-personnel mines and continues to encourage non-States Party to accede to each Convention. The UK undertakes programmatic work to support other States Parties' implementation of each Convention and remains committed to ending the suffering and casualties caused by cluster munitions and anti-personnel mines. The UK has entered the third iteration of its global demining programme, which invested £146 million in 14 countries between 2018 and 2022.

Niger: Military Coups

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Economic Community of West African States on stability in the region, in the context of the situation in Niger.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK condemns in the strongest possible terms attempts to undermine democracy, peace and stability in Niger. From the outset of the crisis, the UK has stood firmly behind the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in calling for the restoration of constitutional order and democracy in Niger, and the immediate release of President Bazoum and his family. On 1 August the Foreign Secretary visited Nigeria and met with President Tinubu, ECOWAS Chair, and emphasised the UK's support for ECOWAS' strong statements and leadership on the coup. Minister for Armed Forces also visited Nigeria from 22-23 August where he met the President of the ECOWAS Commission. We are using our diplomatic presence in Abuja to keep in regular contact with ECOWAS and its members, and will continue to engage with and support ECOWAS in its efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

Department for Business and Trade

Post Office: Standards

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of a reduction in the hours of Royal Mail callers officers on levels of (a) service quality and (b) customer satisfaction.

Kevin Hollinrake: Decisions on the operating hours of Royal Mail’s customer service points are an operational matter for the business. The Government does not have a role in Royal Mail's operational or commercial decisions.

Hydrogen: Production

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she is taking steps to encourage inward investment for (a) components and (b) other equipment to enable the scaling up of low carbon hydrogen.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: My department has been working closely with the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero to showcase the opportunity for investment in the UK hydrogen sector. Together we’ve published a Net Zero Investment Roadmap setting out the UK’s strategy, policies and funding for scaling-up low-carbon hydrogen. The Sector Development Action Plan published in 2022 committed to regular meetings with investors and ‘Meet the-Specifier’ events to help industry understand supply chain opportunities. My officials in the UK and overseas are in communication with equipment manufacturers across the world to ensure they understand what the UK has to offer investors and to advertise the pipeline of hydrogen production projects in development across the country.

Fireworks: Licensing

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing legislation to (a) reduce the noise levels of all categories of fireworks, (b) ban the sale of category 3 and 4 fireworks and (c) introduce licences for selling fireworks.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Government endorses the considerate use of fireworks and believes that the existing regulatory framework strikes the right balance between allowing individuals to enjoy fireworks while reducing the risks and disturbances to individuals, animals and property. The majority of individuals who use fireworks do so in a responsible and safe manner and there are enforcement mechanisms in place to tackle situations when fireworks are misused. The Department has no plans to i) reduce the maximum permitted noise level of fireworks for public sale, ii) ban the sale of category 3 and 4 fireworks or iii) amend the existing licensing scheme for selling fireworks but the Government continues to monitor the situation and engage with stakeholders to listen to and understand their views.

Department for Transport

Roads: Accidents

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many accidents involving cars and cyclists in which cyclists were not the cause were there in the most recent year for which data is available.

Jesse Norman: This information is not collected by the Department.Statistics on reported road collisions involving cars and pedal cyclists where at least one person was injured are based on data supplied by police forces using the STATS19 system. STATS19 data does not directly attribute blame or cause for collisions to any of the parties involved.

Aviation: Security

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 July 2023 to Question 193064 on Aviation: Security, which UK airports (a) installed Next Generation Security Checkpoints before 15 December 2022, (b) installed Next Generation Security Checkpoints between 15 December 2022 and 18 July 2023 and (c) are expected to install Next Generation Security Checkpoints before 1 August 2023.

Jesse Norman: A number of airports have been trialling the Next Generation Security Checkpoint (NGSC) technology and operational processes since 2018 and therefore have had this technology in place in trial lanes prior to 15 December 2022. In addition to these trials, two airports installed some NGSC equipment between 15 December 2022 and 18 July 2023 which they now use across all their passenger security lanes. Airports are currently rolling out the new technology, but none has completed full installation between 18 July 2023 and 1 August 2023.

Department for Transport: Digital Technology

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps their Department is taking to improve its digital services to provide better (a) accessibility and (b) user experience for the public.

Jesse Norman: The Government has published a new digital and data strategy, Transforming for a Digital Future: Government’s 2022-25 Roadmap for Digital and Data. The strategy sets out the Government’s plan for a transformed, more efficient digital Government that provides better outcomes for everyone. It does this through a common, cross-government vision for 2025 and a set of specific actions the Department will take to achieve it. Please refer to mission 1 of the strategy which aims to improve online services to a high standard, including user experience and accessibility of the services. All the Department’s digital services are tested with public during their development, and they must adhere to the Govt Digital Service Standard and pass the assessments in order to be released. This includes meeting the criteria for user research and accessibility.

Department for Transport: Written Questions

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps their Department is taking to improve response times to written parliamentary questions.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data their Department holds on the average response time to written parliamentary questions in the last six months; and what assessment they have made of the adequacy of that response time.

Jesse Norman: The Department for Transport places a high importance in providing Members of Parliament with responses to their written parliamentary questions within the timeframes set by Parliament.From the start of the current Parliamentary Session to the 2023 Summer Recess, the Department received 4,408 written parliamentary questions and answered 99.9%, or 4,403, of them on time.

Large Goods Vehicles: Taxation

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport,whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of reinstating the HGV road user levy on the haulage industry.

Mr Richard Holden: The levy was reinstated from 1 August 2023 and HMRC have published a Tax Information and Impact Note which makes an assessment of the impacts.

Roads: Cameras

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to introduce artificial intelligence traffic cameras.

Mr Richard Holden: There are systems that have already been certified as "Approved Devices" for the civil enforcement of traffic contraventions that use Machine Learning / Artificial Intelligence. It is used mainly to identify vehicle types & for detection of some types of moving traffic contraventions. It should be noted that any potential moving traffic contraventions are reviewed and decided by a human operator before a PCN is issued and that approved device certification is for the whole CCTV system of which the camera and detection methodology is only a part.  There are not currently any plans to introduce Artificial Intelligences cameras to replace current speed cameras. Moreover, the Home Office does not currently plan to introduce Artificial Intelligence in speed and red light cameras under the Home Office Type Approval (HOTA) process. If, and when, such devices are submitted it will consider them against the requirements outlined in the HOTA Handbook.

Tolls

Mr Louie French: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has provided recent guidance on the amount of notice that should be provided to drivers before entering zones in which they may be liable to charges.

Mr Richard Holden: Guidance for local highway authorities on all matters relating to signage is set out in the Traffic Signs Manual, which is available on gov.uk. The Department has no plans to update this advice to cover this specific issue.

Roads: Design

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, by what date he plans to publish the revised Manual for Streets.

Mr Richard Holden: The Department will publish the revised Manual for Streets in due course.

Road Humps

John Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that speedbumps are constructed to correct dimension specifications.

John Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps members of the public can take when they have identified a speedbump that has not been constructed to correct dimension specifications.

Mr Richard Holden: The Department for Transport provides detailed guidance to highways authorities on the design of traffic calming measures in Local Transport Note (LTN) 01/07 ‘Traffic Calming’, which is available on gov.uk. The Highways (Road Humps) Regulations 1999 provide the statutory framework for road humps in England and Wales.Decisions on installing road humps are matters for the local highway authority, and they do not have to notify the Department of these decisions. Should there be concerns about specific road humps, members of the public should raise this directly with the local authority responsible for their installation.

Motorways: Speed Limits

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when National Highways plans to end its trial of 60mph speed limits on motorways; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Richard Holden: National Highways are in the process of working with the vast amount of data collected from the sections of the motorways with the 60mph speed limit trials to analyse the results and will be publishing the reports in due course. Once the analysis has been concluded, we will determine whether the speed limits are beneficial to remain or not. If they are not beneficial for air quality purposes the speed restrictions will be removed.

Elizabeth Line: Railway Signals

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the reliability of the signalling system on the Elizabeth Line.

Mr Richard Holden: Transport in London is devolved to the Mayor of London and Transport for London (TfL). The Department has regular discussions with TfL on a range of issues, however, the operation and management of the Elizabeth Line is a matter solely for them.

Motorways: Speed Limits

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what process National Highways uses to determine variable speed limits on smart motorways.

Mr Richard Holden: Smart motorways have variable mandatory speed limits to smooth traffic flow and reduce congestion and have electronic signs to warn drivers of incidents ahead. Variable speed limits will often be triggered automatically when congestion is starting to build up ahead, or when the volume of traffic has reached a point where this is about to happen. Operators in National Highways’ regional control rooms are in overall control of this system and take a strategic regional view of the network. They can override speed limits or set them manually where needed; for example, to deal with a complex incident, help a vehicle leave an emergency area and re-join the carriageway, or provide a safe space to work for road workers as they set out or remove cones and temporary signing.

Railways: Greater London

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of closing train station ticket offices in Enfield North constituency on the (a) safety and (b) accessibility of passenger rail travel in (i) Enfield North constituency, (ii) the London Borough of Enfield and (iii) London.

Huw Merriman: The UK’s rail network is one of the safest in Europe and we will never compromise the safety of passengers on our railways. As the industry takes forward vital reforms, safety remains a top priority for all.When proposing major changes to ticket office opening hours, including closures, operators are required to take into account the adequacy of the proposed alternatives in relation to the needs of all passengers; and to include this in the notice of the proposal sent to other operators and passenger groups. We would also expect operators to consider other equality related needs and make this clear in the notice sent to other operators and passenger groups.Together with industry, we want to improve and modernise the passenger experience by moving staff out from ticket offices to provide more help and advice in customer focused roles. Following the consultations, the independent passenger bodies will play a vital role in assessing and shaping proposals.

National Highways: Pay

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether civil service pay remit guidance applies to National Highways workers.

Mr Richard Holden: Since National Highways was established in 2015, it has largely aligned with the Civil Service Pay Remit. NH does however operate within a 5 year pay envelope which is agreed with HMT, in parallel with Road Investment Periods, and is responsible for ensuring pay, recruitment and attraction costs do not exceed its allocated budget.

Railways: Warwickshire

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the impact of closing ticket offices at Leamington Spa, Warwick and Warwick Parkway stations on disabled rail passengers.

Huw Merriman: When proposing major changes to ticket office opening hours, including closures, operators are required to take into account the adequacy of the proposed alternatives in relation to the needs of all passengers; and to include this in the notice of the proposal sent to other operators and passenger groups. We would also expect operators to consider other equality related needs and make this clear in the notice sent to other operators and passenger groups.Together with industry, we want to improve and modernise the passenger experience by moving staff out from ticket offices to provide more help and advice in customer focused roles. Following the consultations, the independent passenger bodies will play a vital role in assessing and shaping proposals.

Driving Tests

Paul Bristow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle the backlog of people waiting for driving tests, in the context of test centre closures.

Mr Richard Holden: Since April 2021, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has created over one million extra car test appointments by recruiting new examiners, conducting out-of-hours testing, such as on public holidays and weekends, asking all those qualified to conduct tests but who do not do so as part of their current day job, to return to conducting tests, and asking recently retired driving examiners to return. On average, this has created approximately 40,000 extra car test appointments each month. As of 4 September 2023, there were 560,121 car practical driving tests booked, and 58,382 driving tests available within the 24-week booking window.The DVSA is committed to providing its customers with the best service possible. The DVSA continually reviews its estate to ensure it represents good value for money and is efficient.

Aviation: Holiday Leave

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the Civil Aviation (Working Time) Regulations 2004 to ensure that workers in civil aviation are awarded the national average annual leave entitlement.

Jesse Norman: Department for Transport officials are liaising with colleagues in the Civil Aviation Authority to understand and review the historic rationale for the divergence in annual leave entitlements between the Civil Aviation (Working Time) Regulations and other legislation. Should the Department determine that amendments are appropriate, it would then look to consult with the sector to help inform any assessment.

Railway Network: Strikes

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Rail Delivery Group has sought to change the negotiating mandate set by him in relation to the ongoing industrial dispute with rail trade unions.

Huw Merriman: The Government’s priority is to resolve the dispute and work with industry to deliver crucial reform to our railways. We have supported negotiations between the Rail Delivery Group and the trade unions by trying to foster positive relations, facilitating discussions and improving communications. While progress has been made, the actions of the RMT and ASLEF unions continue to cause significant disruption and are preventing the resolution of the dispute.RMT members overwhelming accept the Network Rail two-year offer earlier this year. We have not yet seen RMT offer its members in the Train Operating Companies (TOCs) a chance to vote on an almost identical offer from the Rail Delivery Group on behalf of the TOCs. This offer would have seen lowest paid benefiting from up to a 13% pay increase over two years. If there is to be an end to the industrial disputes, we urge trade unions like RMT and ASLEF to allow their members to have a say on these industry offers.

Bus Services

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to (a) tackle reductions in bus services and (b) help ensure that older people can access transport.

Mr Richard Holden: The Department for Transport recently announced a long-term approach to protect and improve bus services backed by an additional £300 million until April 2025. £140 million of this funding will go to bus operators to support services, and the remaining £160 million will go to Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) to protect and enhance bus services, and support local fares initiatives. This funding builds on the over £2 billion the Government provided to bus operators and LTAs from March 2020 to June 2023 to keep bus services running and mitigate the impacts of the pandemic. This funding is in addition to the over £1 billion the Government is providing to 34 counties, city regions and unitary authorities to help local areas level up their bus services and deliver their Bus Service Improvement Plans. We also make available up to £259 million every year for bus operators and LTAs to keep fares down and run services that might otherwise be unprofitable and could lead to cancellation through the Bus Service Operators Grant. The Government supports council spending of around £1 billion a year on concessionary travel so that eligible older and disabled people can travel on off-peak buses up and down the country for free. Statistics for 2021/22 showed that concessionary bus journeys are down by more than a third since before the pandemic. That is why we recently launched the ‘Take the Bus’ communications drive to encourage older and disabled people who are eligible for a concessionary pass to use the free bus travel available to them to get out and about, meet friends and family, and rediscover local attractions.

Railway Network: Strikes

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to prevent strikes on the rail network.

Huw Merriman: The Government is focused on resolving this dispute so that critically needed workforce reforms can take place, supported by a fair pay deal. However, the trade unions will not prevent these reforms from taking place by taking industrial action.The Government has also played its part by improving communication and facilitating discussions between employers and the unions. The pay deals offer rail workers a decent pay rise that prioritises the lowest paid and compares well with increases in the wider economy.RMT members overwhelming accept the Network Rail two-year offer earlier this year. We have not yet seen RMT offer its members in the Train Operating Companies (TOCs) a chance to vote on an almost identical offer from the Rail Delivery Group on behalf of the TOCs. This offer would have seen lowest paid benefiting from up to a 13% pay increase over two years. If there is to be an end to the industrial disputes, we urge trade unions like RMT and ASLEF to allow their members to have a say on these industry offers.

Railway Stations: Disability

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data his Department holds on the number of train stations which did not have (a) tactile paving, (b) disabled toilets, (c) changing places toilets and (d) step-free access to platforms as of 19 July 2023.

Huw Merriman: The Department for Transport recently completed an accessibility audit of all 2,577 stations. This data is now with the Great British Railways Transition Team who are considering how to make it available to the public and we will announce further details in due course. This is in addition to the Government’s commitment to ensure tactile paving is installed at every mainline station in Great Britain.

Network Rail: Procurement

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost to the public purse was of stopping and restarting the CP7 Network Rail Eastern region procurement process.

Huw Merriman: The procurement process was stopped, redesigned, and then restarted in a way that ensured minimal costs to the public purse.

Ferries: Scotland

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance his Department provides on whether the Subsidy Control Act 2022 precludes (a) the Scottish Government Road Equivalent Tariff and (b) other public subsidies from operating where a private operator operates a competing service.

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department's policy is on (a) state aid and (b) other support for ferry services, in the context of the UK's exit from the EU.

Mr Richard Holden: International freight and passenger ferry services are generally operated on a fully commercial basis, without UK government support. The UK ferry market is a highly competitive sector with operators offering multiple routes and good levels of connectivity to the EU.The Subsidy Control Act 2022, of which the main provisions came into effect on 4 January 2023, sets the framework for support to ferry services in the United Kingdom, including that provided by devolved administrations, with a view to securing fair competition, value for money and compliance with our international trade obligations.The Department for Transport provides no specific guidance on this related to ferries. The Department for Business and Trade leads on subsidy matters and provides guidance on public authorities' legal obligations under the UK subsidy control regime.

Road Traffic Act 1988

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 September 2022 to Question 48313 on Road Traffic Act 1988, when his Department plans to launch a call for evidence on the Road Traffic Act 1988.

Mr Richard Holden: We are still considering the details and timings of the planned call for evidence on motoring offences. The intention is to publish it as soon as we are able to.

Manchester Metrolink: Stockport

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate his Department has made of the cost of the proposed extension of the Metrolink tram system into Stockport town centre.

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential economic benefits of the extension of the Metrolink tram system into Stockport town centre.

Mr Richard Holden: Light rail is a devolved matter in England and it is for local authorities to develop proposals for potential new schemes, including cost estimates and appraisals of economic benefits.Local authorities are best placed to assess place-based transport challenges and opportunities, and prioritise schemes accordingly while being accountable to the public.The Department for Transport is providing £1.07 billion to Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) between 2022/23 and 2026/27 through Greater Manchester’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement. This includes funding for transformational local transport projects prioritised by GMCA.

Driving Tests: Dyslexia

Carol Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether there are differences in waiting times for driving theory tests for learners with dyslexia and those without.

Mr Richard Holden: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is dedicated to ensuring all candidates have equal and fair access to the driving theory test. There are no differences in waiting times for driving theory tests for learners with dyslexia and for those without.

Railway Stations: Access

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Women and Equalities on expanding accessible infrastructure at railway stations for (a) disabled travellers and (b) parents with prams.

Huw Merriman: We are continuing to support the Access for All programme which has delivered over 230 accessible stations so far, with another 70 stations in various stages of development or construction and hope to announce further stations that will benefit from accessibility improvements in due course. The rail industry is already subject to the Equality Act 2010 and under a duty to make reasonable adjustments to allow disabled passengers to access services. Network Rail is also subject to the provisions of the Public Sector Equality Duty. In addition, whenever the industry installs, replaces or renews station infrastructure they must comply with current accessibility standards or face possible enforcement action by the Office of Rail and Road.

Railway Stations: Access

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Women and Equalities on the potential merits of using sections (a) 20 and (b) 29 of the Equalities Act 2010 to increase access at railway stations for (i) disabled travellers and (ii) parents with prams.

Huw Merriman: We are continuing to support the Access for All programme which has delivered over 230 accessible stations so far, with another 70 stations in various stages of development or construction and hope to announce further stations that will benefit from accessibility improvements in due course. The rail industry is already subject to the Equality Act 2010 and under a duty to make reasonable adjustments to allow disabled passengers to access services. Network Rail is also subject to the provisions of the Public Sector Equality Duty. In addition, whenever the industry installs, replaces or renews station infrastructure they must comply with current accessibility standards or face possible enforcement action by the Office of Rail and Road.

Cycleways: Cambridge

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps with Sustrans to improve Route 11 of the National Cycle Network in Cambridge.

Jesse Norman: The Department for Transport and Active Travel England have supported Sustrans in developing a network development plan, which seeks to improve the National Cycle Network (NCN) and make it more accessible by 2040. Sustrans is working with authorities, including Cambridge City Council, to identify local priorities for future investment. Route 11 is not currently part of the NCN upgrade programme in receipt of funding from the Department.

Cabinet Office

Emergencies: Mobile Phones

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has had recent discussions with Three on the lessons learned from the test of the emergency alerts service.

Jeremy Quin: During the national test of the emergency alerts system on 23 April 2023, some Three Mobile customers did not receive the alert.To address this issue, the Deputy Prime Minister met with the CEO of Three Mobile on 26 April 2023. Following this meeting, Three Mobile has made a number of technical improvements to rectify the errors made on the test day. Three Mobile has since reassured the government that they believe the underlying issue has now been resolved.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Digital Technology

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the 2014 Digital Inclusion Strategy; and whether she plans to update that strategy.

Paul Scully: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is committed to closing the digital divide and meeting the government’s commitment that nobody should be left behind in the digital age.The 2014 Digital Inclusion Strategy, and the four pillars it sets out, remains as relevant today as it was when published. These principles were further echoed in the Government’s UK Digital Strategy published in 2022, and our vision to enable everyone from across the UK to benefit from all that digital innovation can offer. The Department has further considered the 2014 Digital Inclusion Strategy following the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee’s report on digital exclusion and cost of living and will formally respond to that Committee’s recommendations for the publication of a new digital inclusion strategy this month.

Manufacturing Industries

Mr Rob Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department's National semiconductor strategy, published on 19 May 2023, what steps she is taking to ensure adequate focus on manufacturing in the UK.

Paul Scully: The Government has an ambitious strategy to build on the UK’s strengths in semiconductors to grow our sector, increase our resilience and protect our security. To deliver our strategy we are investing to £200 million over the years 2023-25 and up to £1 billion in the next decade.At the Spring Budget, the government announced a £500 million per year package of support for R&D intensive businesses through changes to R&D tax credits. In addition, the government also announced 'Full Expensing' - a £27billion business tax cut – which means the UK now has the joint most generous capital allowance regime of any major developed economy.We understand that the semiconductor industry faces specific challenges, so we have also committed to announcing plans by the autumn to further support the competitiveness of the semiconductor manufacturing sector that is critical to the UK tech ecosystem or the UK’s national security.

Telephone Systems

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to protect vulnerable customers during the transition from (a) analogue to (b) digital landlines.

Sir John Whittingdale: I thank the Hon. Member for her question, and would like to refer her to the answer I gave on 13 June 2023 to Questions 189332, 189333, 189334, 189336.

Animal Experiments

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of publishing a plan to accelerate the reduction of animal testing in the UK.

George Freeman: Government’s approach is to actively support and fund the development and dissemination of techniques that replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in research (the 3Rs), primarily through funding from UK Research and Innovation for the National Centre for the 3Rs (NC3Rs) - who have committed £31.6 million for research and innovation into these causes in the past 5 years - and to ensure that the UK has a robust regulatory system for licensing animal studies. The NC3Rs are on track to meet their commitment to invest 75% of their research and innovation budget on replacement technologies by the end of 2024.

Birkbeck, University of London: Mathematics and Statistics

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions she has had with Birkbeck University on proposed cuts to its mathematics and statistics department.

George Freeman: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer my Rt. Hon. Friend the Minister of State for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education gave to her question 193653 on 20 July 2023.Higher Education providers are independent, autonomous institutions responsible for their own decisions on staffing issues, including how they structure themselves to deliver research and teaching priorities. Research in mathematical sciences is key for the advancement of all areas of science and technology, and a vital area of science in itself. UK Research and Innovation’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council funds Mathematical Sciences from its core budget, typically spending £25-£30 million per annum. They have also committed a further £124 million out to 2028-29 as part of the Additional Funding Programme for Mathematic Sciences programme.

Animal Experiments

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Advice on the use of the forced swim test published on 5 July 2023 by the Animals in Science Committee, whether she plans to fund the further development of human-specific, non-animal methods for research into (a) potential treatments for depression and (b) any other areas where the forced swim test is used.

George Freeman: The Government welcomes the Committee’s advice on the use of the forced swim test. The report and its recommendations are being carefully considered, and the Government will respond in due course.The National Centre for the 3Rs (NC3Rs) recently published a paper in collaboration with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency on the use of the forced swim test in rodents, calling for more research into alternatives to the test. Funded through UK Research and Innovation, the NC3Rs has a range of funding schemes available to support the development of alternatives to the use of animals, including developing non-animal approaches to the test.

Science and Technology: Intellectual Property and Research

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to help prevent states from accessing the UK science and technology base’s (a) intellectual property and (b) research through unauthorised and illegal means.

George Freeman: The Government wants to enable collaborative research, while ensuring our science and technology base is protected. Government has strengthened support to the research sector considerably in recent years, including launching the National Protective Security Authority's Trusted Research campaign. The Department also provides the Research Collaboration Advice Team, which gives advice to research institutions to help them manage national security risks in international collaboration. Government has a comprehensive package of legislative measures in place - including the National Security and Investment Act and Export Controls - to manage risk in this area. We keep all our measures under review and will strengthen these where necessary.

Innovation: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with stakeholders on the (a) adequacy and (b) allocation of Pioneer funding strands.

George Freeman: The Pioneer prospectus sets out these proposals and was developed with input from researchers and businesses across the UK. Since publication, the Government has sought further input from researchers and businesses as we develop these proposals should they be needed.The Government are clear that Pioneer would receive the same amount of funding as the UK would have paid to associate to Horizon from 2021-2027:£2b Talent,£3.5b Innovation£3.8b Global Collaboration£1.7b InfrastructureGuarantee and additional support £3.6b by financial year 2027/28.Total investment £14.6b.

Innovation: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent estimate she has made of the timescale to set up (a) the Pioneer (i) talent offer, (ii) innovation strand, (iii) global strand, excluding the International Science Partnerships Fund and (b) transitional measures prior to the full launch of Pioneer; and if she will make a statement.

George Freeman: Whilst the UK hopes negotiations on Horizon Europe will be successful, and that is our preference, the Government is prepared to support the UK’s R&D sector by implementing Pioneer.The first stage of Pioneer is designed to go live within weeks of a decision and consists of a suite of short-term measures. Longer term programmes would then follow.All aspects of the programme, short and long-term, would be delivered by existing trusted and experienced UK delivery partners, such as UK Research & Innovation and the National Academies who are used to delivering R&D funding at scale.

Science: Innovation and Research

Alyn Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of increasing the cost of (a) the immigration health surcharge and (b) student visas on the (i) global influence of UK-based science and (ii) ability to attract international (A) researchers and (B) innovators.

George Freeman: The Science & Technology Framework sets out the government’s plan to cement the UK as a Science and Technology superpower by 2030 and the government is committed to ensuring the UK’s immigration system supports economic growth and remains competitive in attracting and retaining the best international researchers and innovators.As announced on 13 July, increases to student visa fees and the immigration health surcharge will help to cover the cost of the migration and border system and help to improve it, as well as cover the genuine cost to the NHS of providing healthcare to those who use it.

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: Digital Technology

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps their Department is taking to improve its digital services to provide better (a) accessibility and (b) user experience for the public.

Mr Alister Jack: The Office does not provide direct digital services to the public. Teams with responsibility for digital publishing comply with the Government Digital Service’s best practice for publishing on gov.uk, including converting documents to HTML, and ensuring published materials meet web content accessibility guidelines.

Northern Ireland Office

Question

Gerald Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has held with Cabinet colleagues on progress in implementing the Windsor Framework.

Mr Steve Baker: Our priority now is ensuring the timely and successful implementation of the Framework. To this end, we have published further guidance on how the Windsor Framework will work in practice, including detail on improved customs processes and movements of goods and subsidy control, and on the UK Internal Market Scheme, the Retail Movement Scheme and the Duty Reimbursement Scheme. This all delivers on our commitment to the Windsor Framework, its implementation and supporting businesses and members of civic societies in Northern Ireland. We have – and will continue to - engage extensively with businesses, communities and political parties in Northern Ireland to support them in adapting to these new arrangements, which will be phased in over nearly two and half years.

Question

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make it his policy to support public ownership of Lough Neagh; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Steve Baker: Any decision to negotiate the sale of Lough Neagh with its landowner and bring it into public ownership is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive. The Northern Ireland parties need to restore the Executive so that locally elected decision-makers can address issues such as this.

Public Sector: Northern Ireland

Peter Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of funding for the delivery of public services in Northern Ireland.

Mr Steve Baker: This Government has given £7 billion in additional funding to NI since 2014 on top of the Barnett-based block grant.Budget allocations for Northern Ireland departments have been determined with the objective of protecting front-line services.Funding alone will not solve the systemic issues facing public services in Northern Ireland - these must be addressed by a restored Executive.

Question

Robbie Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps his Department is taking to promote Northern Ireland's place in the Union.

Chris Heaton-Harris: This year my Department has led the Government’s programme to mark the 25th anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, which demonstrated the progress Northern Ireland has made as an integral part of the United Kingdom to people across this country and around the world. Next week’s landmark Investment Summit will showcase the expertise and talent that exists in Northern Ireland and highlight its global attractiveness as a place to invest or start a business - both in its own right and as an integral part of the United Kingdom.

Question

Carla Lockhart: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether parents will be able to opt their children out of the new Relationship and Sexuality Education curriculum in Northern Ireland.

Chris Heaton-Harris: Yes.The Relationships and Sexuality Education (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 place a duty on the Department of Education to introduce regulations to ensure that a pupil may be withdrawn from education on sexual and reproductive health and rights or elements of that education, at the request of a parent. This follows the approach taken in England and Scotland.

Wales Office

South Wales Main Line: Repairs and Maintenance

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when he plans to announce upgrades to the South Wales mainline railway.

David T C Davies: In February 2023, the UK Government announced £2.7 million funding for a study to improve transport connectivity by developing options for new stations and services on the South Wales Main Line, including the development of 5 brand new stations between Cardiff and Severn Tunnel. In addition, a proposed upgrade to the South Wales relief lines is being progressed to a full business case by Network Rail for consideration by the Department for Transport. The UK Government has committed over £390 million to rail improvements in Wales in recent years.